The Ember Diaries
by njeha
Summary: Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my birth parents weren't Grayson&Miranda Gilbert, but James& Lily Potter; that my fraternal twin wasn't Elena but Harold. The Potters faked my death believing Harold to be the Boy-Who-Lived, but they were wrong. I want no part in the war between Voldemort, and the Potters decided to hide in Mystic Falls; This is my diary. Fem!Potter, WBWL.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **In this story, I have changed the dates and instead of Harry Potter story being born on 1980, he was born 1992.**

 **Chapter 1:**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I grew up in a small quaint little town, population: nearly 7000, where the citizens were quite tight-knit due to all events and parties and celebrations. It is said that the town was discovered later in 1792 by the Founding Families and was named_ _ **Mystic Falls**_ _._

 _The Founding Families were comprised of five families; Fell, Forbes, Gilbert, Lockwood and Salvatore._

 _I, however, am a Gilbert. My parents are called Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, and I am the middle child in the family. I have twin sister, Elena who is a few minutes older than me, and a younger brother, Jeremy who is two years younger._

 _Elena and I are fraternal twins; born on June 22_ _nd_ _1992._

 _Elena and I were inseparable; we are the best of friends and shared everything – secrets, toys, clothes, makeup, gossip, friends, everything but boys and later on, a room._

 _Our best friends were Matt Donovan, Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes._

 _Matt's mother, Kelly and our mother, Miranda were best friends during their high school days, and so, Elena, Matt and I have known each other since we wore diapers and practically shared the same crib._

 _Bonnie and Caroline however, are a different story altogether; you see, even though Elena and I are fraternal twins and best friends, we have two_ _ **completely**_ _different personalities. Elena is more compassionate, shy and polite, while I am the outgoing sister who has a mischievous streak, is wicked smart and enjoy causing mayhem. I barely shy away from others and have a bubby personality matching Caroline._

 _Due to that, even though Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and I are in the same group of friends; Bonnie and Elena got along better and are best friends, while Caroline and I are the same._

 _We Gilberts are a close-knit family. Other than my parents and siblings, I have an aunt and uncle._

 _Aunt Jenna is my mother's younger sister who is currently studying psychology at Whitmore College. My uncle John however, is my dad's younger brother who is every elusive, always pulling the disappearing act and visiting us at random moments when he had time off whatever he worked as._

 _Now_ _ **Beware**_ _if you are reading this entry in my Diary, for my life is a very complex one and it is not all rainbows, fluffy puppies and butterflies._

 _You see, during my childhood, I couldn't help but notice that odd things would happen around me. When I was four, I remember Caroline and I were fighting over a doll and after throwing a ginormous tantrum, it levitated into the air and into my open and outstretched arms – no one could understand why it happened, and my parents grew worried that there was something wrong with me._

 _Another time was when I was six, some boys led by Tyler Lockwood, the Mayor's son, began bullying Caroline and I when we were in the playground minding our own business. I got mad, and the next thing I knew, Tyler's hair turned pink._ _ **Pink**_ _!_

 _When I was seven, my uncle John came over to visit us and even though he is our only uncle, he is my favorite. For some reason, I got along splendidly with him as opposed to Elena – the only thing we disagreed on during our childhood. Uncle John had to cut his visit short and I got depressed. I yelled at him that I hated him and never wanted to see him again, when all of a sudden I disappeared from the house and out of sight._

 _I was found a few hours later running through the woods at night, scared to death by my parents and Uncle John. They carried me back home and once they thought I was fast asleep they discussed the event that had just occurred in the living room. Unknown to them, I was eavesdropping on the whole conversation; my dad was worried that I might be a witch, which made me scoff since there were no such thing, but it really scared them, and my Uncle John promised them that he would do some research and find out._

 _But the answers weren't found until a week before my tenth birthday._

 _A woman with blonde hair tied into a high ponytail and onyx eyes that looked to be around her mid-thirties came over and explained to us that I was a witch. Not some Wiccan witch, but one with a powerful magical core that use wands and belong to a different society where dragons and unicorns and so on existed._

 _Naturally, we thought it was a joke and a well-crafted prank until Professor Rindaver took out an actual wand and turned our dining table into a puppy and back again. She then informed my parents and I that I had a spot at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

 _Professor Rindaver explained everything about the Magical World and then proceeded to tell my parents that I had the option to travel to Ilvermorny and back with a portkey; an object charmed to transport witches and wizards to different locations._

 _According to Professor Rindaver, I am a No-Maj-born; a magical child born to No-Majs, which basically means non-magical people._

 _And that is when another secret came to light;_

 _ **I was adopted.**_

 _You heard me. Grayson and Miranda Gilbert aren't my biological parents. Elena and Jeremy have no actual relation to me, and Aunt Jenna and Uncle John as well. I was devastated and after buying my school equipment and many other books to acclimate in the Wizarding World, I didn't talk to my parents or my siblings for two months._

 _I feared rejection from the people I called my family for a decade. And it was Uncle John that managed to persuade me to stop ignoring my family. He told me that under no certain terms am I less of a Gilbert just because of my true parentage. He showed me how much he still loved me and informed me that he had always known I was adopted and never treated me any different._

 _In a way, I should have always known that I wasn't related to the Gilberts biologically. You see, both Elena and Jeremy have brown hair and brown eyes like my mom and Aunt Jenna, while my dad and Uncle John had sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. The only thing 'my twin' and I had in common was our olive skin tone._

 _I had the reddest of hair, the color of blood, and glowing green doe-like eyes resembling the brightest emerald in existence. Another thing that was odd about me, was a nasty scar located on the crook between my neck and right shoulder in the shape of a lightning bolt. My parents were always under the impression that it was a birthmark._

 _When I finally decided it was time to confront my family after Uncle John's words, I was met with a hurt and angry Elena and Jeremy who felt insulted that I actually thought just because we weren't related by blood meant we weren't siblings. I of course felt guilty and apologized profusely to them and my parents._

 _The story of how I was adopted into the lovable, tight-knit Gilbert family wasn't a good one – in fact, it was horrendous;_

 _Over a year after Elena was born, Uncle John and my dad went to London looking for a missing person, something to do with a patient of my dad's. They drove by an orphanage and found to their shock a bundle of blankets tossed carelessly on the front door. Naturally, their curiosity got the best of them and they parked the car. But when they went to investigate, they found it to be empty._

 _Thinking that it was merely thrown out by the orphanage, the Gilbert brothers turned to leave when they heard a baby bawling its head off. Running towards the direction of the noise, they found themselves in a dark and empty alleyway and me crawling near a smelly dumpster._

 _In their words, they both laid eyes on the most adorable, cherubic baby girl with wide doe-like eyes filled with tears, and glowing emeralds gazing up at them almost pleadingly with a bleeding neck due to the scar. Something cracked in their hearts and they grabbed me almost immediately and went to Social Services the next day. My dad filed for adoption and Grayson and Miranda were listed as my parents in an instant. It was the easiest case Social Services ever had, feeling that my birth parents were despicable for how they just dumped me._

 _Can you believe it? My biological parents dumped me on the steps of an orphanage – and not even a good one, on a cold and windy November night and didn't even bother to hand me off to responsible grownups or even an adoption agency. They didn't leave me a name or a birthdate – nothing. They just dumped me and ran off; apparently I woke up in the middle of the night, cold, injured and terrified all alone and crawled out of the bundle of blankets, searching for human companionship._

 _And I hated them. I felt a surging hatred towards the monsters that gave birth to me and just dumped me like next day's garbage. But the love I felt towards the Gilberts was indescribable and I would forever be grateful to them. Instead of growing up in the streets or in a dull orphanage were I would be depressed, lonely and ignored, I grew up in a loving and nurturing family that never treated me any differently._

 _Thinking about the whole situation with a clear mind, if it weren't for the fact that I was a witch, and my parents were most probably magical, I would have never known I was adopted, because I was never treated like an outsider, but like family. My parents confided in me that they never wanted me to discover my parentage because they felt no difference towards me and they didn't want me feeling like a burden that didn't belong or wasn't a true Gilbert._

 _To the inhabitants of Mystic Falls, I was attending a prestige Boarding School near Virginia for the talented children where I would come back during the weekends only. You see, Ilvermorny is different than other magical schools. In Ilvermorny, we begin our magical studies at the age of ten; we have six years to complete our magical education, and graduate at the ages of fifteen or sixteen. We take our OWLs – Ordinary Wizarding Levels during our fourth year and our sixth and final year we take our NEWTs – Nasty Exhausting Wizarding Tests._

 _Unlike many Wizarding Schools like Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, Ilvermorny teach_ _ **both**_ _Magical and Muggle subjects, which appeased my parents since they didn't want me to miss out on College and a normal life._

 _There are four houses at Ilvermorny – Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird and Pukwudgie. When I first arrived, I was asked to step onto a Gordian Knot_ _on the floor, situated in the center of the entrance hall. Large wooden statues of the mascots for the four houses faced me, and_ _ **that**_ _, combined with_ _being the epicenter for the older students, all of whom were congregated together and intensely watching me in silence from a circular balcony on the floor above, well, frankly speaking, the experience had me downright intimidated._

 _But then, the most extraordinary happenstance occurred!_ _ **With me!**_ _An incident that was such a rare feat, it was said to happen once in a generation… The moment I stepped onto the Gordian Knot, all four carving promptly reacted… and_ _ **simultaneously**_ _too! All_ _ **four**_ _houses wanted_ _ **me**_ _in their House! The crystal embedded in the Horned Serpent's forehead glowed, the Wampus roared, the Thunderbird beat its wings, and the Pukwudgie raised its arrow._

 _The notable individual, who shared such an honor, was the Magical Congress's President during the 1920s, Seraphina Picquery. However unlike her, I didn't pick the Horned Serpent, but the Wampus. While I had traits of all four houses, being regarded as a warrior was an alluring prospect… and I guess I always knew, even at the age of 10, that when it comes to protecting my friends and family, I needed to be first and formost, a fierce warrior. So yeah…_ _ **Go Wampus!**_

 _I spent six wonderful years studying at Ilvermorny and made many friends and connections; I befriended werewolves and vampires, Veelas and Sirens, Purebloods, Halfbloods and No-Maj-borns. America isn't prejudiced like Britain and most of Europe – thank god for that._

 _My magical classes were: Herbology – the study of magical plants and herbs and their purpose, Potions, History of Magic, Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Astrology, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Flying. My muggle classes were Algebra and Geometry, English, Spanish, Latin, History, Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Physical Education._

 _We were given options to study difficult subjects once we were in our fifth year and take the NEWTs for them and I took Dueling, Healing and Dark Arts._

 _I may sound like a nerd, but really, I'm not. I am just incredibly ambitious. Like I said before, I am a very outgoing person and quite popular in Ilvermorny and Mystic Falls, but I want to be the best, and so I took many subjects and studied my damn hardest and ended up achieving one of the top grades at Ilvermorny with O's in every single subject I took._

 _A small part inside of me, a secret part that was concealed deftly, wanted to show my biological parents that I was smart and didn't need them, and if they ever found out about me, that they would be ashamed of their actions and of giving me up. I wanted to show_ _ **them**_ _that even though I was raised by non-magicals, I didn't need them in my life._

 _Another discovery about me was revealed during my sixth and final year during Potions class. We were asked to create a Hereditary Potion, an extremely difficult potion to brew with many complications. Only two in the class succeeded, and surprise, surprise, I was one of them._

 _The potion does not lie and could not give false results. So when I found out who my biological parents were, I was frozen in a state of shock and asked Headmaster Fontaine that I wanted to skip the rest of the week and visit my parents._

 _James and Lily Potter were my biological parents._

 _The freaking Potters that is famous around the Wizarding World. The fucking family of the light was my biological parents; who ever expected them of all people to dump a magical child on the streets like they were yesterday's trash?_

 _Why are they famous, you ask? Well, their precious son, Harold Potter, who as it turns out is my fraternal twin ironically enough, is the Boy-Who-Lived. It was a well-known fact around the globe that on October 31_ _st_ _1992 on Halloween night, The Dark Lord, Voldemort who was trying to takeover Magical Britain and Europe, visited the Potters place at Godric's Hollow. He dueled with James Potter and rendered him unconscious before going upstairs to the nursery were Lily Potter had barricaded herself with twins Harold and Rose Potter._

 _Voldemort ignored Lily Potter's pleas to kill her instead and immobilized her. He then turned his wand to Rose Potter first and killed her instantly with the Killing Curse, before turning his wand to Harold. A miracle happened, and the curse rebounded, defeating Voldemort instead who fled in his wraith form and lived as a spirit somewhere unknown._

 _Books were written and newspapers were printed of that night and the tragedy that befell the Potters; with one child hailed as the savior and the other dead at the hands of Voldemort at only fifteen months old._

 _ **But it was a lie**_ _._

 _Due to the Hereditary Potion that I brewed, the Potters darkest secret was revealed; they faked my death and dumped me at an orphanage, and I felt rage bubble up inside of me. And believe me, I wasn't the only one; my family was outraged with my discovery – but thankfully all the precautions were already made when the adopted me as a Gilbert._

 _Since my dad was a doctor at Mystic Falls General, Grayson and Miranda Gilbert were enlisted as my biological parents, and social services in Britain made an ironclad contract along with adoption papers that could never be broken. I am also registered as an American Citizen in the Magical and No-Maj communities, and not the Potters nor anyone else could_ _ **ever**_ _take me away, not without receiving time in prison or paying a hefty fine – not that they would want to by the sounds of their actions._

 _I ended up eating my words._

 _After I graduated from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and passed my Apparition Tests (the Magical Congress of the United States of America allowed their citizens to apparate legally at 16 years of age), a letter was delivered to me by the President of MACUSA –a fair and honorable wizard by the name of Gregory Bane, asking for a very important meeting with me and my parents._

 _Albus Dumbledore the greatest wizard and leader of the light had desperately arranged to have a meeting with me. Apparently he and the Potters were searching high and low for their missing daughter they had allegedly pronounced dead to the world._

 _Why? It's quite hilarious and ironic if you think about it._

 _The night when Voldemort attacked Godric's Hollow and hailed Harold Potter as the Boy-Who-Lived, they made a grand mistake that ended up biting them in the ass. Because Harold did not defeat Voldemort …_ _ **I did**_ **.**

 _Talk about Karma – she really is a bitch._

 _Two years ago during Harold's fourth year at Hogwarts, he was illegally entered into the Triwizard Tournament where he was forced to compete. During the Third Task, he was whisked away to a graveyard in Little Hangleton and was lucky enough to gain himself first row seats to Voldemort's resurrection – note the sarcasm._

 _Voldemort wasn't pleased with the fact that he had to forcibly take blood from him, but the British Wizarding Community didn't find out the reason for his rage until the end of Harold's fifth year – he wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived._

 _Voldemort took the greatest pleasure in announcing to the world that it was little Rose Potter that defeated him and_ _ **not**_ _Harold Potter who did nothing but cry in his cot, while I transported myself to block the Killing Curse that was originally cast on him._

 _And when his spirit fled, I was very much_ _ **alive**_ _._

 _The lightning bolt scar on Harold's forehead was nothing more than a cut from the splintered wood that fell onto him from the destroyed and burning nursery. As it turns out, when the Killing Curse rebounded, dark magic remained around the room, engraining itself into the wood and that was why Albus Dumbledore and the Potters assumed him to be the savior, feeling the dark energy of the Killing Curse on him._

 _They spent a year searching for my whereabouts while they paid many people off for their criminal offense – who knew it was illegal to fake your daughter's death … uh, everyone, duh!_

 _Albus Dumbledore had the gall to_ _ **demand**_ _I return back to the Potters and play happy family with them while I do my duty and help them get rid of Voldemort once and for all. My parents naturally refused and the old fool thought that conveying a prophecy made before my birth would sway me._

 _Naturally, I told him quite crudely to fuck off, and my parents didn't even bother to berate me for my language._

 _But it was when Dumbledore threatened my family and told them that he could have them imprisoned for kidnapping a baby did President Bane finally interfere. He told the old codger that I was an American citizen and the Gilberts had legalized the papers for adoption and all the contracts were ironclad._

 _ **And LEGAL!**_

 _If only that was the last I would hear from the British Magical Community …_

 _After graduating from Ilvermorny, my parents enrolled me at Mystic Falls High School since I wanted to graduate with my sisters and friends now that my magical education was over. I enjoyed the year immensely and ignored the many letters from Albus Dumbledore – James and Lily Potter didn't dare to make contact with me, which was actually smart of them._

 _It was when my alleged godfather Sirius Black, along with his wife Marlene McKinnon travelled down to Virginia to corner and convince me, did I retaliate, having had enough of the bastards that actually thought I owed them when all they did was throw me away like garbage._

 _I drafted a letter and personally sent it to President Bane who became really good friends with my family and asked that he publish it all around the world for every country to read with their morning coffee._

 _I announced that I was neutral in the war between Voldemort and the light side, and I wanted to take no part in it. I promised that I wouldn't attack Voldemort or his Death Eaters as long as they stay away from my family and friends and leave me the hell alone._

 _That caused a backlash within the magical community in Britain, but I cared not. They were the ones that wiped their hands clean of me when they assumed Harold to be the Boy-Who-Lived and threw me away._

 _But events began to unfold after that. Voldemort was thrilled with me butting out of the war, and so, the Potters were in danger. Imagine my surprise and outright anger when Sheriff Liz Forbes informed my parents that two families were moving in to Mystic Falls._

 _Who? I'll tell you who._

 _The Potters and the Blacks._

 _According to President Bane, the Potters lives were in danger and they needed to hide Harold from Voldemort who took my neutrality as permission to kill my so-called biological family. The Potters moved in to the manor in front of the Salvatore Boarding House, while the Blacks moved into the manor in front of my house._

 _But when they finally moved in, I didn't have to try and avoid them – for tragedy struck my family._

 _On May 23_ _rd_ _, 2009, Elena and I were invited to a party by the woods, and even though it was family night, we were desperate to miss one night and attend. Our boyfriends, Matt and Tyler – yes, I ended up dating that bully – begged us to go with them and after many arguments and tantrums shook the Gilbert Household, our parents complied._

 _Elena fought with Matt and desperate to leave the party, she wasn't thinking clear enough to ask me for a ride back – according to her, she didn't want to be a bother. She didn't ask Bonnie, Caroline or even Matt for a ride. Instead, she called our parents to pick her up._

 _Dad lost control of the car and slipped over the wet road, causing the car to drive over the Wickery Bridge, and submerge._

 _Elena was the only one to survive the accident, and it was a miracle; her body was located by the shore. They said that she somehow swam out of the car, saving her life. She woke up in the hospital and I was the first person she saw and she didn't have a memory of swimming out of the car. The last thing she remembered was the car driving off the bridge before she blacked out._

 _Elena, Jeremy and I were pardoned from attending the last month of school and we spent our time mourning in our respective rooms ever since the funeral._

 _I lost my dad, my mom, my happy domestic life._

 _Everything is different know. And to make things better, my fucked up biological parents moved in to town and I wanted nothing more than to kick them out and kill them with my bare hands._

 _Couldn't they find a safe house far, far, far away from me?_

 _With the death of our parents, Jenna became our legal guardian and moved in with us to take care of three teenagers. Elena broke up with Matt, became introverted and spent all her time visiting our parents' graves and writing in her diary. Jeremy turned to drugs and Vicky Donovan, the Queen of drug-addicts in this town._

 _ **I?**_ _I broke up with Tyler. I drowned myself in alcohol and boys. I buried myself in parties. I started public smoking. I became very wild, trying my hardest to ignore my surroundings and how fucked up my life now was._

 _My biological parents moved in, and my actual parents died – how fucked up is that. Am I the only one that sees the irony?_

 _So here you have it. I summarized sixteen years of my life in around eight pages of my Diary._

 _My mother bought me a Diary every year, hoping that I would share her and Elena's mutual love for writing. Mom also told me that writing everything down and getting everything off my chest was good for me and therapeutic._

 _I scoffed at that and told her I didn't need to hash out my feelings by putting pen and paper together._

 _But now with my parents dead, I decided to respect my mom's wish and start writing in the Diaries she had continuously bought me. And guess what? Even though I got everything off my chest, I don't feel better, because no matter how many pages I fill, my parents are still dead._

 _But I_ _ **will**_ _respect mom's wish and continue this through. I_ _ **will**_ _write all my feelings, and woes in this Diary; all my thoughts and the fucked up events that would occur next in my life._

 _Tomorrow is the first day of junior year and I am not looking forward to it. But life must go on – I cannot hide in my room forever and depart only when there is a party to attend and when I run out of alcohol from my trusty and well-hidden stash._

 _Well, that is all folks. I hope you enjoyed my rambling verbal diarrhea._

 _Oh, I forgot; I never mentioned my name._

 _My name is_ _ **Ember Gilbert**_ _, and this is my_ _ **Diaries**_ _._

 **A/N:** **Please be honest. This idea just popped in my head and I had to write it through.**

 **What do you all think? Should I continue it? If yes, then the next chapter will be uploaded tomorrow.**

 **R &R.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 2:**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today is the first day of school where I begin my Junior Year. Today will be the first time I finally confront the mass of Mystic Falls and accept their fake condolences and stare at their sorrowful faces – while I'm completely sober that is._

 _I bet everyone would expect me to blow up a fuse halfway through class or skip school;_ _ **but I won't**_ _._

 _I can do this for you mom and dad; I know you're up there in heaven watching down on me and pitying the girl I have become with your aching loss._

 _It's just, it's hard knowing that I won't bear witness to mom grilling us to behave at school and making sure we had our homework done, or experiencing dad trying to make pancakes for breakfast for the umpteenth day in a row; not even the embarrassment of you both tearing up that your babies are growing up._

 _Elena, Jeremy and I are a team, and we_ _ **will**_ _get through this,_ _ **one day**_ _, I just know that today definitely isn't the day, neither is tomorrow or even the day after, but soon,_ _ **one day**_ _, you'll both be proud._

 _I hope I don't run into the Potters, the Blacks and whoever else they brought from Britain with, because honest to god I_ _ **will**_ _cause a huge hissy fit, especially if they dare approach me._

 _Elena and I came up with a plan;_ _ **get in & get out.**_

 _Nice and easy, very creative._

 _Whoops. Elena is calling; wish me luck._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

Elena's head popped into the small opening of Ember's room with a sad look on her face; Ember smiled and marched over to her, embracing her in a hug. "We can do this Laney. _Together_. …Ugh, don't you _dare_ ruin my makeup, you bitch," she laughed shakily, flicking the first teardrop that escaped an eyelid.

Elena giggled and plastered on a forced smile, but _hey_ , it's still a smile, and said, "Come on, Jenna's trying to make us _toast_. Keyword, _trying_."

"At least it's not pancakes," Ember couldn't help but quip, engulfing the twins in a gloomy silence. Ember groaned, "My mouth has no filter, sorry Laney."

Composing herself, Elena ran over to the coffee machine and poured three mugs for herself, Ember and Jeremy, "Forget it; we have to get over it someday. Mom and Dad would be glad we're managing to at least start joking about them."

"Toast. I can make _toast_ ," Jenna announced proudly. Ember sniggered into her hand, gladly accepting the coffee from Elena, "I heard, and that is _very_ impressive, Jenna."

"Is there coffee?" Jeremy groggily called out, shaking away the last remnants of sleep from his face. "Thank you," he sang, nonchalantly snatching the mug from Ember's hand, halfway to her lips.

" _Hey!_ That was _mine_ ," Ember pouted. Delicious steamy caffeine made its way up her nostrils as Elena stuck the mug meant for Jeremy under her nose, "You are a lifesaver, Laney."

"Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared," Jenna continued rambling, unaware of her surroundings as she dug out a few dollar bills from her purse, "Lunch money?"

"I'm good," Ember and Elena chimed out in sync sharing a giddy smile; even though they weren't _actually_ twins, they grew up thinking they were, creating an unbreakable bond between the two girls; they were twins, blood or not. Jeremy however, snatched the ten bucks and muffled out a thanks.

"Anything else? A number two pencil? What am I missing?" Jenna continued rambling, looking like a frantic mess.

"Uh, to breathe," Ember pointed out smartly.

"Yeah, _and_ don't you have a big presentation today?" Elena reminded her, looping her arm through Ember's. Jenna's eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets and she silently began to cuss. Grabbing her things she dashed out the front door, barely parting them with a farewell and leaving behind three amused Gilbert siblings in her wake.

A car honk sounded from outside and Elena perked up, "That's Bonnie. I'll see you at school. And Em, breathe, calm down and relax. If you see _them_ -" she spat the word with distaste, "-ignore. Kay? _Bye_."

Ember shook her head in amusement watching her sister follow Jenna's previously rushed footsteps. Piercing Jeremy with her emerald eyes, she nudged her head towards the door, "Come on, baby bro. I'm your ride."

As Ember and Jeremy clambered into Ember's silver Mercedes, a sweet 16th birthday pressie from her Uncle John, their eyes couldn't help but ensnare the movements of their new neighbors, _the Blacks_. The ruggedly handsome man she recognized from his last visit to be Sirius Black held eye contact, an indescribable expression on his face as a blonde woman, his wife, helped a girl who looked to be her age and a boy who appeared to be Jeremy's age into a jeep. Shooting him a glare, Ember climbed in and slammed the door shut, pressing hard on the gas and speeding down the road to Mystic Falls High.

"Em, promise me you won't let them get to you," Jeremy softly implored his sister. Without taking her eyes off the road, her hands were clenched tightly on the steering wheel and she counted backwards from ten in her head, a convenient meditating technique Uncle John taught her ever since the Gilbert household and by extension Mystic Falls experienced the terrifying and explosive temper that emanated from her.

"I promise, _but_ only if you promise to take care," taking note of Jeremy's confusion, Ember clarified, "I don't trust them around you and Elena, Je. They could spike your drink or place a curse or some hex on you."

"I _promise_. You worry too much, sis," Jeremy said cheekily. Ember did the mature thing and stuck her tongue out as she neatly parked her car. The siblings split up, Jeremy went the opposite direction, probably to the stoner pit, while Ember searched for her friends, hitting bull's-eye when she glimpsed a head of shiny blonde hair reflecting under the sun.

"CARE!" Caroline Forbes whipped her head around, a mega-watt smile radiating her face when she took notice of her best friend and she wasted no time in rushing forward and embracing Ember in a suffocating hug, "EMBER! I'm not gonna ask how you're doing because that's like, a silly question. I missed you bestie!"

Ember giggled; Caroline always managed to bring out a smile on her face, especially with her bubbliness and amusing ramblings. "Care-Bear, I missed you more! Ugh, and in regards to your unspoken question; I'm getting there." Linking arms together, the two best friends began searching for their other halves and struck luck by the school office.

"Elena! How are you?" Caroline squealed, letting go of Ember's arm to hug her twin while Bonnie made a beeline towards Ember. Once done with all the salutations, Ember asked the million dollar question, "What are you two doing?"

"We're staring at a sexy back," Bonnie vaguely replied, her eyes never leaving the guy talking to the secretary who, from this angle, clearly distinguished her to be blushing profusely. Caroline and Ember swooned when they took notice of his leather jacket; so they had a thing for bad boys, _bite them_.

Bonnie spoke out in a faux-mystical voice, "I'm sensing Seattle, and he plays the guitar."

Ember and Caroline simultaneously threw Elena an inquiring look, both pairs of eyebrows raised in sync. Snickering, Elena clarified, "Apparently, _Bonnie_ is a _psychic_."

"Huh, good for you Bon-Bon," Ember smirked. Elena gave her an amused, secretive gaze – there was _no_ _way_ Bonnie was a psychic, unless she had seer blood in her, and since she wasn't accepted into any of the magic schools littered throughout the continents, then it was bogus.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Elena suddenly spat out, her eyes narrowing in on the door to the boy's bathroom where Jeremy had just disappeared to a few seconds ago. Ember huffed and glumly followed Elena's angry footsteps; being the middle sister truly did suck when one had to formulate multiple peace treaties between Elena and Jeremy on a constant basis.

Storming in, Elena harshly grabbed Jeremy's face and intently pierced his eyes with her chocolate orbs. She scoffed once she found the glaring proof she needed, "Great. It's the first day of school and you're stoned."

Jeremy yanked his face from Elena's vice grip and heavily scowled, "No, I'm not." His puppy dog eyes implored Ember to intervene as Elena frantically began searching for his hidden stash. "Stop, all right?! You need to _chill yourself_ , all right?"

 _Woah_! Yup, Jer-Bear is definitely as high as a kite. Elena seemed to be thinking along the same lines; snarling, her face morphed into an expression of disbelief. " _Chill myself?_ What is that, _stoner talk_? Dude, you are _so_ _cool_ ," she ended it on a sarcastic note. Groaning inwardly, Ember decided it was time to unfortunately step in. _How fun … not!_

"Enough!" Edging in the middle to create space between her two siblings, Ember turned to Jeremy, "Jer, go back to class, but please _try_ and stay sober during school hours." When Jeremy opened his mouth to further argue his case, Ember abruptly held a hand up to silence him, "I said _try_." Nodding glumly, Jeremy dashed out the door. Now Ember was left alone with a shocked and surprised Elena, "Laney, you have to take it easy on us. Unlike you, Jer and I don't know _how_ to deal with mom and dad's death in a healthy way."

Elena's face morphed to sadness, burning holes at the ground as she stared at her feet, and Ember knew that she returned to blaming herself. Embracing her, Ember continued in a soft tone, "Everyone mourns differently. You became more introverted, visiting the cemetery and write constantly in your diary, Jer began drugs and I bury myself in alcohol. I would be a hypocrite if I yell at Jer for his inappropriate way of dealing."

"But Em, I'm scared, I can't lose you and Jeremy like I did mom and dad," Elena's eyes began to well up, a pout joining her tears. Wiping them away, Ember gave her twin a comforting smile, "It's not permanent, Laney. One day, Jer and I will call it quits, but you constantly hounding us, _especially_ Jeremy, it won't do any favors or speed up the process. You remember what dad used to say –"

"Forbidding a teen, only motivates them to rebel harder," Elena laughed, recalling one of their dad's many words of wisdom. Beaming, Ember continued, "Exactly, and I'm including myself in this. It's like reverse psychology."

Leaving the bathroom, they both ran smack dab right into the new guy's hard rock chest. He had prominent chiseled features, a hard jaw, with forest green eyes and perfectly groomed rich, brown hair that looked naturally tousled. His brows furrowed slightly in confusion as he stared down at the bewildered and dazed twins, "Uh, pardon me. Um… is this the men's room?"

"Yes. Um, I was just, uh, we were –"Ember interjected her sister's embarrassed stuttering, hoping to save her face from looking like a fool in front of the sexy new guy, "Sorry, ran into our brother, carry on with your business." An amused smile flittered on the new guy's face as Ember yanked Elena towards Bonnie and Caroline, both of whom were trying, and _failing_ , to suppress their laughter at the twins' predicament.

"Classic you two, real classic," Caroline giggled, looping her arm with Ember's free one, and the four girls made their way to History with Mr. Douche Tanner.

The four girls sat in their regular seats with Ember and Elena beside each other, and Caroline and Bonnie respectively behind them. Ember couldn't help but notice the new guy wouldn't stop staring at her twin, and she inwardly smiled – maybe new guy was exactly what Elena needed.

But Ember's blood ran cold when four new teenagers entered the classroom and handed over slips to Mr. Tanner. They were two boys and two girls; there was no mistaking them. Messy, jet black hair, a round face with glasses and hazel eyes – Harold Potter for sure; the other boy was tall and gangly with long hands and feet and an equally long nose with many freckles, blue eyes and ginger hair; one of the girls, she knew to be the daughter of Black, had dirty blonde hair, pale skin and azure eyes; the last girl had crackling bushy brown hair, coffee brown eyes and haughty features.

Fucking great!

Elena, Bonnie and Caroline glanced at Ember unsurely, but she merely offered them a half-smile as Mr. Tanner introduced them to the rest of the class.

"Class, we have four new exchange students from England; Harold Potter, Ronald Weasley, Cassiopeia Black and Hermione Granger."

* * *

"Can you believe it? They're actually _attending_ Mystic Falls High! Like, _what the hell_?" Ember growled at the top of her lungs. She was pacing around the kitchen like a lunatic where Jenna and Elena were currently watching her dizzying footsteps in amusement and sympathy. "I mean, _why_! Shouldn't they continue their magical education? Unlike Ilvermorny, Hogwarts require _seven years_ of schooling–"

"Alright, enough. Calm down Ember," Jenna interjected soothingly, grabbing her arm lightly and seating her beside Elena who instantly placed an arm around her waist. Kneeling in front of her hysterical niece, Jenna decided there was no point keeping information from her, "I heard that there are three more teenagers from Carol Lockwood. Violet Potter and Leo Black are in Jeremy's grade, and there is a Ginny Weasley a grade below you."

Ember's body stiffened as though someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water on her; _Violet Potter_? So the Potters had another daughter; Ember truly believed that the Potters cast her away because they wanted to raise Harold alone and groom him into the wizarding world's savior without having to divide their attention on another sibling – boy was she was wrong.

"Em, are you okay?" Elena asked worriedly; the hurt and anger on her sister's face didn't escape her, and she knew where Ember's thoughts were at, "So they have a daughter, screw them. You're better off without them."

Swallowing a lump from her throat, Ember gave her aunt and sister a shaky smile but firmly stood up, "You're right. I already wiped my hands clean from them. I'm strong and proud to be a Gilbert. Let's go to the Grill, Bonnie and Caroline are waiting for us."

Jenna sighed in relief and shooed them away. Elena happily followed Ember and as they opened the front door, they abruptly halted when they found themselves face-to-face with the new guy.

"Sorry, I was about to knock," he said sheepishly, drawing a friendly smile from the twins, "I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier. I know it was… strange." Ember shot Elena a questioning look, one that went completely ignored as she smiled up at the new guy.

"No worries, I get it. Blood makes you squeamish," Elena laughed gently.

"Okay," Ember interjected. "Before I continue calling you 'new guy' in my head, I'm Ember Gilbert, Elena's twin sister, and you are?" Ember offered her hand. He laughed and gladly shook it, "Stefan. Stefan Salvatore."

"Well, Stefan Salvatore, I'm going to wait in my car and leave you two to chat," Ember winked at him, breaking a smile from his face while Elena groaned into her hand; she knew exactly what Ember was not so subtly hinting at.

Drumming her fingers on the steering wheel, Ember only had to wait a few minutes before Elena and surprisingly, Stefan, clambered into her car. Clearing his throat, Stefan said, "Elena invited me along, you don't mind?"

Ember threw him a cheeky grin, "The more the merrier. Buckle up you two."

There was a palpable tension in the air once the two Gilberts arrived at Mystic Grill with Stefan in tow; if looks could kill, Stefan would be six feet under by the glare Matt was giving him. Skipping over to their regular booth, Ember beamed at Caroline and Bonnie, and crowed out, "Hello besties."

"Someone's in a good mood," Bonnie smirked, however, Ember didn't fail to notice the subtle glances her two friends traded. Groaning as Elena and Stefan grabbed a seat, Ember said, "Okay, is this about the newbies? 'Cause yes, Jenna told me about the _other three_ and I don't care, so moving on…"

Caroline dragged Ember in for a hug before she began interrogating Stefan – something the three other girls had predicted; it was inevitable after all, Caroline had a talent for gathering information out of people.

"So-" Caroline prefaced in a business-like tone, "-You were born in Mystic Falls?"

"Just go with it, Stefan. It's classic Care," Ember winked in response to Stefan's bemusement.

Now amused, Stefan nodded, "Mm-Hmm, and moved when I was still young."

"Parents?" Bonnie chipped in. A somber look appeared on Stefan's face. "My parents passed away," was all he had to say on the topic.

"I'm sorry," Elena gave him a sympathetic look, one that Ember joined in on, "Any siblings?"

"None that I talk to. I live with my uncle," Stefan abruptly announced closing that specific subject; yikes, tension, tension. Seems Stefan doesn't have a perfect family life, but then again, from the outside, Mystic Falls may look like a picturesque and idyllic town, but really, every family has a bunch of skeletons piling up in their closets; not halcyon.

"So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow," Caroline pointed out, her eyes glittering with glee at the opportunity to grab the new guy's attention. Ember facepalmed and traded an awkward glance with Bonnie; it was immensely obvious that Stefan was solely interested in Elena.

"It's a back to school thing at the falls," Bonnie put in, but Stefan only had eyes for Elena as he asked her, "Are you going?"

Smiling smugly, Ember chirped, "Of course she is."

* * *

"The Battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle? Ms. Bennett?" Mr. Tanner loomed over Bonnie. Ember rolled her eyes dramatically as she twirled a blood-red strand around her index finger in absolute boredom. Tanner had a gift for putting anyone to sleep in an even more effective way than a Sleeping Draught ever could.

Bonnie had the expression of a deer caught in the headlights as she met Tanner's gaze head on. "Um … a lot? I'm not sure. Like a _whole_ _lot_ ," Bonnie managed to say, the corner of her lips lifting into a small smile as the class burst out into chuckles.

Tanner glared at the offending students and quipped, "Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett." Like a vulture, he swooped over to Matt's desk, "Mr. Donovan? Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?"

Matt was laidback, causally rocking his chair back, a playful smile on his handsome face, "It's okay, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it." He winked at an amused Ember, who high-fived the air in response and offered a thumbs-up, ignoring the four pairs of eyes she could feel glaring at her from the Brits.

Tanner's eyes pierced Matt and Ember before a smirk crept onto his lips. Picking out his next prey, he barked, "Elena? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?"

Poor Laney; she shyly ducked her head from all the stares focused on her and stuttered, "I'm sorry, I-I don't know."

He loomed over Elena's desk, casting a giant shadow in her wake and spoke in a condescending tone that made Ember want to rip him a new one, "I was willing to be lenient last year for _obvious_ reasons, Elena. But the personal excuses _ended_ with summer break."

Elena looked like she was about to break out into tears at any moment and Ember felt her protective instincts emerge; Ember couldn't help but loudly mutter, "Dick." Gasps echoed around the room, and even Elena, Bonnie and Caroline were staring at her, wide-eyed. The shadow fluidly travelled to Ember's desk and she glanced up impassively at Tanner's rage-filled face. "What was that, Ms. Gilbert?" he snapped.

"I called you a dick," Ember shot back reproachfully.

Tanner stood to his full height, apoplectic with rage, he gritted out, " _Excuse me_?"

"You're excused," Ember drawled out, staring at Tanner as though he were a bothersome fly. The whole class was torn between horror and enthusiasm as they watched the verbal Ping-Pong match between Ember and Douchebag Tanner.

Leaning over Ember's desk, Tanner sneered, "You think you have a free pass to speak with a teacher with such obnoxious disrespect?" Ember met his glare full on and snarled, "No, but when a _teacher_ announces my parents' death so brazenly, you have awaken my ire, _Mr. Tanner_. What? You expect Elena and I to just _get over_ our parents' death after four months? Shame on you! If you are going to speak with such disregard about the calamity of our parents' death, then you bet your ass I'm going to disrespect you in class!"

The classroom was engulfed in silence; basically, you could hear a penny drop; Mr. Tanner inhaled and exhaled loud breaths, unable to find the perfect retort to Ember's statement. Fortunately for him, the bell rang. Throwing Tanner one last loathsome glare, Ember packed up her books and fled the classroom with Elena, Bonnie and Caroline on her heels.

She found herself surrounded by clapping students, some of her classmates patting her back in a camaraderie fashion, and Ember knew that by the end of the day, word would have spread around Mystic Falls that 'Mr. Tanner got Tannered by Ember Gilbert.'

Before Elena, Caroline and Bonnie could get a word in, the four girls found themselves cornered by the four Brits. Hermione Granger strode forward, looking utterly scandalized, "How dare you speak to a teacher with such disrespect! You should go and apologize!" she all but demanded in a know-it-all voice.

Simultaneously, four jaws dropped and they stared at the bushy-haired girl in disbelief. The other three Brits formed a protective stance around her as though they were preparing for a fight. Striding forward, Ember's green eyes flashed and she spoke with venom, "Listen here you _bushy-haired bitch!_ _Never_ approach me again, you may worship the ground teachers walk on and situate yourself so far up their asses, tweezers couldn't pluck you out, but recognize who you are talking to _before_ you open that fat mouth of yours and torment people with your god-awful voice."

Caroline supportively looped an arm through Ember's and spoke in her best bitchy cheerleader voice, "If you want to live peaceful lives in Mystic Falls, then don't speak unless spoken to in regards to us, otherwise, we _will_ destroy you, your families _and_ your social life."

"Goodbye teacher's pet," Ember sneered, her eyes spitting fire at the other three who were gaping at them with shock, and together the four girls bumped shoulders with them and passed through.

"Can you believe that stuck-up bitch?" Ember growled at her friends. Elena and Bonnie tried calming her down, and Elena said in a soft tone, "I'm sure after today they'll back off."

"Somehow I doubt it," Ember muttered.

* * *

Ember was currently standing with Bonnie and Elena in the party at the woods discussing Stefan. Ember had already been stopped countless of times by people hell-bent on congratulating her for Tannering Tanner – obviously, Douchebag Tanner was the least popular teacher at Mystic Falls, and everyone enjoyed watching him get dissed by a student.

"So where is he?" Bonnie asked Elena who was searching through the crowded woods for a specific Mr. Salvatore, much to Ember's amusement; who knew they would hit it off so quickly?

Giving Bonnie a cheeky smile, Elena said, "You're the psychic one, you tell us." Giggling, Ember ducked down and retrieved an empty beer bottle from the ground, "We _cannot_ have a psychic without her faithful crystal ball."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, but acquiesced. As her hand went to grab the bottle from Ember, she made the smallest contact with Elena's skin and a gasp escaped her lips. Ember and Elena shared confused looks once Bonnie spaced out, and before they could shake Bonnie from her trance, she abruptly pulled her hand from Elena's.

"What?" Elena asked with confused eyes.

"That was weird. When I touched you, I saw a crow," Bonnie's voice came out in a whisper. Elena stiffened in shock, but Bonnie continued onwards with her speech, oblivious to the brunette's reaction, "A crow. There was a fog, a man-" She abruptly shook her head, plastering on a nervous smile. "I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it. Yeah? Ok I'm gonna get a refill," she rambled, and scrambled away from the stupefied Gilbert twins.

"Em," Elena hesitantly said in a small voice, and Ember knew that whatever Elena had to say, she wasn't going to like it, "Everything Bonnie just said- I saw it today at the cemetery."

Ember frantically shook her head, "Bonnie can't be a Seer, Elena, it doesn't make any sense-" before she could get another word out, Stefan appeared by their side with a friendly smile. The twins shakily returned it and Ember promptly left in pursuit of Caroline who she knew would be seeking solace in a bottle because of Stefan's obvious crush on her twin.

Spotting Caroline's glaringly depressed state, Ember went to approach her when a girl popped into her line of vision; she had raven black hair that cascaded down to her shoulder-blades and familiar hazel eyes, and Ember knew exactly who she was.

"Violet Potter, hi," Violet smiled awkwardly, giving Ember a small wave. Folding her arms against her chest, Ember coldly responded, "I know who you are, _what do you want_?"

Violet's nerves skyrocketed as she regarded Ember with scrutinizing hazel eyes; Ember differed greatly from the Potters – unlike Harry and Violet, she had emerald green eyes brighter than Lily's and blood-red hair that poured down to her lower back, a huge contrast to Lily's auburn shoulder-length hair. She had olive skin and an oval-shaped face with large doe-like eyes and plump-petal lips. All in all, Ember Gilbert was utterly gorgeous with a rocking body, and even though she shared a slight resemblance to Lily with a mixture of James' aristocratic pureblood features, she differed from them immensely.

"I-Look, I wanted to make peace," when Ember's perfectly sculpted brows rose to her hairline, Violet nervously ploughed onwards, "I want us to be friends, I've always wanted a sister, and I know our parents were horrible to you, but I –"

Having heard more than enough, Ember rudely interjected, " _You_ are _not_ my sister; I already _have_ a sister called _Elena_ and a brother called _Jeremy_. My parents _died_." At Violet's crestfallen expression, Ember spoke in a softer voice but kept it detached and firm, "Look, you seem like a sweet girl, unlike the rest of your family, but I want _nothing_ to do with y'all. James and Lily cemented it sixteen years ago. The only way peace could be made is if you'd all stay the hell away from me, my friends, my family and my town. _Excuse_ _me_."

Ignoring the pair of eyes piercing her back, Ember embraced her blonde and bubbly friend and snatched the tequila bottle from her grip, taking a large and hearty sip herself, "What's wrong Care-Bear?"

"Stefan completely blew me off for Elena," she sniffed in response. Ember's face morphed into guilt and she held her best friend tighter, "I'm sorry Care, I really am."

Suddenly, Caroline opened her mouth wide and burst into a humongous tirade, her voice growing louder with every sentence, "I'm inappropriate, I always say the wrong thing. And … Elena and even _you_ always say the _right_ thing. You two don't even _try_! And he picks her. And she's always the one that everyone picks, both of you, _for everything_. And I try _so hard_ , and… I'm _never_ the one."

Placing the bottle on the ground, Ember grabbed Caroline's shoulders and calmly said, "Hey, hey, hey. Listen to me. I know it may seem like it sometimes, but there's no competition here, shit happens, and if guys are too daft to see how amazing you are, then they're blind and missing out on someone _amazing_ and incredibly _special_ , and you wanna know why?"

Wiping her tear-stained face, Caroline mumbled dejectedly, "Why?"

" _Because_ you're Caroline Forbes, neurotic planner extraordinaire, most amazing friend in the world. Your mega-watt smile alone can brighten up anyone's day and when I need a shoulder to cry on, I look for you. I love you Care-Bear," Ember told her, adoration and solidarity seeping into every heartfelt word. Caroline burst into happy tears and tightly embraced her best friend.

However, their moment was interrupted by an ear-splitting scream and they turned to see Elena's terrified face emerge the deep clearing from the heart of the woods with Jeremy directly behind her, an immobile body in his arms.

"Somebody help!" Elena screamed desperately. Ember and Caroline raced over to Elena and Jeremy's side. "Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?" Matt's horrified voice broke over them as he stared huge eyes at his sister's unconscious and bloody form.

"What happened to her?" Tyler demanded, joining the clustering group on the ground.

Matt's voice desperately beseeched the mass in the party, "Somebody call an ambulance!"

Absentmindedly, Elena announced in a trembling voice, "It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood-"Elena gulped, her eyes widening in cognition once she understood the meaning behind her words.

Ember's eyes zeroed in on Vicki's neck, trying to locate the signature bite beneath all the blood and the blood pumping through her veins turned to ice; there were two symmetric pinprick holes that resembled a …

The three Gilberts shared identical horrified looks, their faces morphing into one of recognition and the unspoken word reverberated instantaneously in their heads;

 _Vampire!_

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Hermione Granger – Emma Watson**_

 _ **Violet Potter – Maia Mitchell**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Please be honest, how did you like this chapter?**

 **A few explanations needed; obviously with a member of the Gilbert family well-versed in all things magical and supernatural, Elena, Jeremy and even Jenna wouldn't be clueless, am I right? Ember obviously shared everything about her world to them…**

 **I changed many things in this chapter from canon, and I didn't copy-paste much. Also, I don't know if you noticed how different Caroline seemed? The answer is simple, Ember and Elena are** _ **extremely**_ **close, and Caroline is closer with Ember, so she would be included in many things and not be treated like the pariah best friend until season 2 that is, like she was in canon.**

 **How did you like the inclusion of Ron, Hermione and Ginny? Somehow I don't see the Boy-Who-Lived leaving without his sidekicks. I know I didn't introduce much about James, Lily and even Sirius, but in time they will appear, I have to situate them appropriately into the story.**

 **Sorry for all the blathering *shy face* but is there anything you would like me to change? Add? Any characters from Harry Potter you want me to introduce into Mystic Falls?**

 **Oh, and also, Harold Potter is his name, but his nickname is Harry, for any of my readers that were confused.**

 **And last but not least to end my long-ass note, (SORRY); I am currently writing chapter three so it will be up in a couple of hours.**

 **R &R.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **Double whammy. My gift to you: another chapter out in the same day. Enjoy! XD**

 **Chapter 3:**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Last night's party was a bust. Instead of moving on and starting anew – new problems arose._

 _One word:_ _ **Vampires**_ _._

 _Vampires in Mystic Falls; there is no way in hell that Vicki was bitten by some rabid animal in the woods like Sherriff Forbes implied._

 _Don't get me wrong, I'm not prejudiced towards vampires, in fact, I have met the acquaintance of a peculiar vampire who went by the name of Sanguini and I have a friend that was in the same year as me at Ilvermorny, Lyssandra Millen; half-vampire, half-witch._

 _However, there cannot be good without the bad; yin-yang and all that jazz. And just like there are friendly vampires with compassion for human life, there are deadly vampires with bloodlust, killing anything and anyone that stood in their path. If there truly is a dangerous vampire in Mystic Falls, then it is up to me to capture him/her._

 _My family however, is my number one priority at the moment; unlike me, they don't have a sliver of magic running through their veins and without the proper precautions, they could easily get killed if they cross paths with that certain vampire at night._

 _Vicki Donovan, thank god, didn't die from the vampire attack. Her artery wasn't nicked, so she would recover in a few days. To risk sounding like a bitch, my concern is mostly for poor Mattie. His mom is AWOL with her latest boyfriend at some beach last I heard, and he only has a drug-addict older sister to take care of him. He doesn't deserve to lose his only family in town._

 _At least one good thing happened last night; after we returned from the woods, Stefan paid Elena a visit – totally PG those two. Elena should seriously reconsider jumping his bones, 'cause Stefan Salvatore is_ _ **fine**_ _._

 _I barely slept a wink after the party since I was working on an important project to protect my family and I heard the whole conversation between Elena and Stefan – unintentionally, of course._

 _That's all for now, Diary. Wish me luck with stopping the vampire._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

Ember entered the kitchen just in time to hear Jeremy give Jenna a pitiful excuse about going to wood shop; seriously, Aunt Jenna wouldn't mind if he simply informed her he was going to visit Vicki at the hospital.

"Oh, no you don't," Ember said in a singsong voice, grabbing Jeremy's bicep before he could vanish out the front door. "You can visit Vicki in a little while, I have something important to say," Ember said firmly, leaving no room for a negotiation. Jenna threw Jeremy a hurtful look for lying.

Jeremy shot Ember a glare and hissed, "Thanks for ratting me out, Ember!" He threw his book-bag by the front door and slumped into chair by the island in a huff, his face going all broody – quite dramatic.

Rolling her eyes, Ember snapped, "Unlucky for you, I'm not as gullible as Aunt Jenna-"

" _Hey_!"

"-no offense meant, of course," Ember batted her eyes innocently, ignoring the grumpy and deeply offended look Jenna had written all over her face. "Elena! Get your skinny butt down here! We're having a family meeting!" Ember called out loudly. A minute later, a strangely chirpy and disgustingly happy Elena Gilbert skipped down the stairs and sang, "Good morning!"

Ember and Jeremy winced at the high-levels of happiness Elena was currently radiating while Jenna stared at her dumbstruck. Shaking her head, Ember briskly spoke up, "Okay family, as you all know, there is a vampire in town-" cue the grimaces reflected on Jenna, Elena and Jeremy's faces, and Ember ploughed onwards, "Before you leave the house, I'm gonna give you a lecture on vampires 101; obviously, they cannot roam outdoors during daylight – unless of course they're half-vampires. From what I studied and the few good vampires I met they have black eyes and are usually pale and gaunt, so they won't be hard to spot. However, another eyesore would be their teeth, they would be noticeably sharper, kinda fang-looking. Any questions?"

Elena mockingly raised her hand, but solemnly asked, "How do we kill it?"

"Well, um, stake to the heart, fire, oh, and also, vampires have a certain aversion to garlic and can be kept at bay by its smell," Ember dutifully informed them in her best professorial voice.

"Yeahh," Jenna drawled out, "You're not expecting us to walk around town with garlic in our pockets or strung around our necks, are you?"

Scoffing in amusement, Ember said, "Of course not. I have been up _all night_ working on a project and I am thrilled to inform you that I have succeeded." Ember handed out three handmade bracelets; Elena's was red with a shrunken dragot in the middle; Jeremy's was black with a shrunken dragot in the middle; and Jenna's was pink with a shrunken dragot in the middle. They all took their bracelet in bemusement and Ember held out an outstretched arm, displaying a green bracelet coiled around her wrist with three shrunken dragots molded next to each other.

Once they tied their respective bracelets onto their wrists, a beaming Ember explained its use, "If any of you find yourselves in danger, press onto the coin with your thumb, it will activate the tracing charm I spelled onto it and my coin will flare. I will apparate to you and help out, and before you complain, I have magic. So don't worry about _my_ safety."

Jeremy studied his bracelet with interest, "That's cool. What charms did you place on them?"

"Protean Charm, that was for linking our coins, and also I placed at unbreakable charm, that way no one can rip it off your arm and you would never lose it," Ember beamed proudly. "Now my mind can be at ease knowing that you aren't defenseless out there … Jeremy, you can go see Vicki now." Jeremy stuck his tongue out at her, gave her a hug and a thank-you kiss, before flying out of the house like a disgusting lovesick puppy.

"Well, wish me luck for the parent-teacher conference," Jenna suppressed a reluctant sigh; Mr. Tanner was the douche usually in charge of those and Ember and Elena couldn't help but throw their aunt a sympathetic glance.

"Heads up, Aunt Jenna, Tanner won't have anything nice to say about me, so don't be surprised," Ember winked cheekily, eliciting a groan and a half-hearted stern glare from Jenna. "Well, bye," she chirped dragging Elena outside and toward the car.

"You're so screwed with Tanner," Elena giggled as she buckled the seatbelt. Ember deadpanned, "Eh, Tanner doesn't scare me. He was at wrong this time."

"Which is rare in itself," Elena smugly pointed out, "You can't help but test the waters during nearly _every_ history class."

In a completely serious tone, Ember said, "Tanner is a douche." The way she stated it sounded like that explained everything and made it right. Elena burst out laughing and the two Gilberts happily strode into school with gleeful smiles on their faces.

After history class, Ember left Elena with Stefan and rushed over to Caroline and Bonnie, both of them riveted in a serious discussion about Bonnie being a psychic. Ember didn't have a chance to research Bonnie's weird predicament since she was busy creating the bracelets after the party.

"I'm confused. Are you psychic or clairvoyant?" Caroline asked bewilderly. Ember's ears perked at that, wanting to get a good idea on what exactly Bonnie was experiencing.

"Technically, Grams says I'm a witch-"Ember dropped her books in shock, silencing both Bonnie and Caroline. "Oops, sorry Bon-Bon, my hands slipped, continue," Ember waved dismissively as she gathered her books, and innocently stared at them.

Throwing Ember a perplexed glance, Bonnie continued where she had left off, "My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks or something." Bonnie's voice was filled with disbelief and skepticism, "Grams _tried_ to explain it all, but she was looped on the liquor so I kinda tuned out. Crazy family, yes. Witches? I don't think so."

Chuckling nervously, Ember waved a hand, "Pfft, witches. There are like, no such thing, _haha_." Once again, Ember was met with two bewildered stares and she shrugged sheepishly. Brushing off her comment, Caroline piped up, "Yeah, well, feel free to conjure up the name and number of the guy from last night."

"I didn't see him, _you did_. Why didn't you just talk to him?" Bonnie asked, confused. Frowning, Ember pouted, " _What guy_? Care-Bear, since when do you hide the delicious deets from me?"

"Eh, I was drunk?" Caroline replied sheepishly. Ember glared harder, smiling when Caroline immediately caved, "Ugh, _fine_. Last night after the party, Bonnie and I went to sober up- okay, _I_ had to sober up, and this sexy guy was sitting at the opposite table. He had raven black hair and these _gorgeous_ blue eyes that are to _die_ for." She let out a lengthy sigh filled with longing, her eyes staring dreamily into nothing in peculiar, and Ember somehow _knew_ that Caroline was probably picturing him naked.

Ember's stomach churned with suspicion; the fact that he had vivid blue eyes and not black were the only thing that calmed Ember down, but regardless, she had to ask, "Hey, Care, did this mystery guy by any chance look pale and gaunt?"

Bonnie shot her a weird glance and Caroline wrinkled her nose, "Ew, _NO_. I mean he had pale skin, but it was of the sexy kind, and he was very muscled and chiseled _thank you very much_." She sounded highly offended and Ember couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction; Classic Care.

Walking outside, they were met with a rigid confrontation between Jeremy and Tyler and both boys looked like they were about to throw out punches. Striding over to her little brother and her ex-boyfriend, Ember shouted, "Jeremy, Tyler! That's enough, stop it."

Tyler's hard black orbs pierced Ember before they flickered over to Jeremy, "Walk away, Gilbert. It's your final warning."

Yanking himself from Ember's tight grip, Jeremy went nose-to-nose with Tyler and snarled, "No, _this_ is your final warning, _dick_. I'm sick of watching you play Vicki. If you hurt her one more time, I swear to God, I _will_ _kill_ _you_." Jeremy barely spared Ember a glance before walking away.

Ember's emerald eyes pierced Tyler harshly, noticing that he was sitting with the jocks and Harold, Ron, Cassiopeia and Hermione. "Slumming it with the Queen of druggies now, huh _Ty_ , and here I thought you could sink no lower," Ember mocked him angrily. She didn't have a problem with Vicki per se, but she desperately wanted to hurt Tyler, like he hurt her.

Sneering, Tyler volleyed hate-filled words toward the ex that had the gall to break up with _him_ , "At least she's better in the sack than _you_." Everyone in the vicinity gasped, automatically taking a step back from the confrontation between the two volatile exes. Bonnie and Caroline however, faithfully stood on either side of her.

"Fuck you, Tyler Lockwood. I can't _believe_ I wasted four fucking years of my life as your girlfriend. Try pushing my buttons, it won't work, _babe_. But you _stay away from my brother_ ," and with that, a resounding smack vibrated in the air as Ember's hand met Tyler's face.

Tyler growled at Ember's retreating back. He kicked the bench angrily and sat down with his friends. Harold smugly approached him, "What was that about?"

"Nothing man, I'm out guys," Tyler snarled. Grabbing his books, he left the premises. Hermione, ever the one thirsting for information turned to the brunette girl Tyler had been flirting with before young Jeremy Gilbert interrupted, "What's the deal with Tyler and the Gilbert girl?"

Flipping her hair behind her back, she gave the Brits a look of utter disbelief, "Tyler and Ember were like the ' _it'_ couple along with her sister and his best friend, Elena and Matt. When their parents died, the Gilbert twins dumped them."

"How come?" Violet asked curiously, approaching the group with Leo and Ginny. No matter what everyone in her family's view was about Ember, she was genuinely interested in getting to know the sister she had been denied of her whole life.

But it was one of Tyler's jock friends that answered, "Tyler constantly cheated on her. I guess her parents' death put everything into perspective for Ember."

"Shut up Todd, Tyler is gonna kill you when he finds out you slept with her last week. Even though they broke up, you know he still loves her," the brunette smirked. "What a slut," Hermione scoffed in distaste; the group surrounding the Brits leveled Hermione with harsh glares and a blonde girl snarled at her, "Watch your fat mouth honey, no one insults Ember Gilbert and gets away with it in Mystic Falls. Besides, we're all guilty for sleeping around. So you're basically calling us all sluts."

"We've got a virgin princess here, guys," Todd smirked cruelly; they all got up and ditched the Brits, Hermione's face flushing with anger and embarrassment. Ginny glared at her bookworm friend, "Seriously Mione, would you shut up! At this rate, we won't make any friends in this damn town!"

* * *

"You called Mr. Tanner _a dick_?" Jenna confronted Ember as she was leaving the history classroom with an unbelievable and astounded expression. Ember threw her aunt a sheepish look, "He was insulting mom and dad's death, Jenna, what do you expect? I was being honest."

"There's a time for honesty and a time to keep your mouth shut," Jenna exclaimed, but Ember noticed the faint smile of amusement on Jenna's face.

"Hey, mom and dad taught me to always be honest," Ember smirked, just as someone lightly bumped into her from behind. A British accent rang out, "Sorr-" Sirius Black and James Potter's eyes widened when they found themselves staring at Ember, who glared back at them.

Jenna placed a calming hand on Ember's shoulder and spoke in a crisp yet polite tone, "Excuse us, gentlemen," and she steered Ember away from their view, "Whew, that was close."

"Huh, that's the first time I run into James Potter," Ember commented offhandedly; Jenna gave her a pointed worried look, and Ember couldn't help but laugh, "Relax, Aunt Jenna, I don't feel any different." She shrugged and a brilliant smile materialized on her face, "In fact, I feel great. I'll see you at home, m'kay?"

"Take care," Jenna called out after her troublesome niece's retreating back. Elena dashed over to Ember's side, taking in a huge lungful of air, she blurted out, "Matt told me that Vicki cried out _vampire_ when she woke up this morning."

Ember stiffened. "Okay, that's not good. That's not good _at all_. We can't have Vicki running around town square screaming vampire, that would cause exposure," she hissed frantically as they clambered into her silver Mercedes. They were meeting Bonnie and Caroline at the grill.

"Well, what do we do?" Elena asked, biting her lips in worriment. Sucking in a huge breath, Ember said, "Once she's discharged, I'll obliviate her- don't worry, Laney, I won't mess with her mind, just erase the vampire part." Exposure in the American wizarding community was a huge no-no.

"I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom," Bonnie spoke mystically as the four best friends sat in their regular booth at the Grill, "The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

An amused smile flittered on Ember's face, "Come on Bonnie, the poor comet was probably minding its own business and everyone began pointing the blame at it for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Caroline and Elena burst out laughing while Bonnie good-naturedly stuck her tongue out at her. "Very mature, Bon-Bon," Ember smirked.

"Elena, tell us what happened between you and Stefan last night. And don't you dare leave out any smut," Caroline bounced excitedly in her seat; after Ember's pep-talk last night, Caroline was taking the whole Stelena relationship swimmingly.

"Nothing. We just talked for hours," Elena shrugged honestly, perfectly content with the events that occurred last night. Caroline gaped at Elena as though she were a crazy person and shared an exasperated look with Ember, who managed to suppress her laughter.

"Ok, _what is with the blockage_? Just jump his bones already! Ok, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, _sex_!" Caroline exclaimed as though it was the most _obvious_ solution in the world.

"Profound," Elena dryly quipped. Piercing her twin with a solemn look, Ember announced, "Elena, that boy has got some majorly fine piece of ass, I mean, he looks _highly_ edible. I'm with Care here."

Elena nodded her head and abruptly got up eliciting a confused and questioning look from Bonnie.

"Caroline and Ember are right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying what I was going to do," Elena rambled, tailing out of the Grill without a second glance.

"Go get him, Elena!" Caroline exuberantly yelled after her retreating back at the same time Ember shouted out, "Wait, I'm your ride!"

While Elena was currently in the Boarding House probably jumping Stefan's bones like Caroline bluntly told her to, Ember could be found leaning against her car enjoying a gratifying cigarette; Elena and Jenna knew about her newfound smoking habit, and only Ember's sincere promise to try and quit got them off her back, for the meantime.

"Smoking isn't good for you," a feminine voice stated from behind her. Ember whipped around and found herself staring at Lily Potter. "Hi, um, I know this is the first time –"

"What do you want? _God!_ Can't you morons take the hint and leave me the hell alone?" Ember growled out angrily, keeping a suitable distance between them. Lily's eyes glimmered with longing as she stared sadly at Ember, "Please, just give us a chance."

"Your chance went out the window when you dumped me like yesterday's trash. _Fuck off_!" Ember was deeply absorbed with her attempt in getting Lily Potter to leave her alone, that she didn't notice Stefan storm into the house from behind.

"Lily!" James Potter strode out of their manor, his eyes widening upon noticing who exactly his wife was conversing with. At the same time, Elena called out Ember's name and rushed over to her side. Ignoring the elder Potters, Ember focused on her sister, "Laney, what's wrong?"

"Let's just get out of here," she mumbled, silently glaring at James and Lily to back off. As they were getting into Ember's car, James yelled out, "Please, can we-"

The doors slammed shut, and Ember drove off, not bothering to listen to the Potters' continuing pleas. Giving her sister a concerned look, Elena regaled everything that happened inside the Boarding House and how weird Stefan acted when he noticed her talking with his older brother.

"I _knew_ Stefan had a sibling, he seemed so nervous and brisk when you asked him the other day. Seems like they have raging issues," Ember commented, tossing her finished cigarette before following her sister into the house.

"Yeah, and according to Damon, Stefan is on the rebound," Elena snapped glumly, eliciting a head shake out of her sister; "I don't believe that Laney. Did it cross your mind that due to the hostility between the brothers, Damon was trying to mess with your head and cause problems?"

A frown puckered on Elena's forehead as she thought about her sister's words, "It's possible, I guess."

"Well, at least it's an ex-girlfriend. Wait till you date a guy with mommy issues or cheating issues. Or amphetamine issues," Jenna added as an afterthought, putting a comical end to Elena's turbulent thoughts.

* * *

Once done with lighting candles at Mystic Falls Town Square, Elena, Ember, Bonnie and Caroline deposited themselves at their regular booth at the Grill; a groan erupted from Ember when she noticed the Potters, the Blacks, the bookworm and the two Weasleys sitting on a table nearby, all of whom were staring intently at her.

"Can't catch a break in this town," Ember mumbled; bless her sister and friends, supportive lot – they all shot glares at their table, just as Jeremy frantically began shouting, "Hey, has anyone seen Vicki?"

"Crap, I forgot to obliviate her," Ember whispered to Elena causing her face to once again morph into worry.

Sneering at Jeremy, Tyler snapped, "You're her stalker. You tell us."

Jeremy glared at him, "I can't find her."

"She probably found someone else to party with." Tyler scoffed, enjoying the anger palpably visible on Jeremy's face, "Sorry, pill pusher, I guess you've been replaced."

"Back off, Tyler!" Ember abruptly yelled at him.

"What's with the pill pusher?" Elena simultaneously asked before suddenly gasping in realization, "Are you _dealing_?" The Potters and Blacks were vividly listening in on the whole confrontation with barely concealed curiosity.

Jeremy ignored Elena's comment, just as Tyler ignored Ember and spat out, "She's _never_ gonna go for you."

"She already did," Jeremy snapped firmly, "Over and over and over again." Ember scrunched her nose and screwed her eyes shut, "Ugh, not a picture I want engrained into my head, Jer!"

Caroline giggled, " _You_ slept with _Vicki Donovan_?" upon being the recipient to an Ember Gilbert scary glare, she corrected her previous statement, "I mean, _Vicki Donovan_ slept with _you_?"

"Not helping Care," Ember snapped. "Look, can we just _not_ discuss my brother's sex life?"

Tyler shot Ember a wicked smirk, "Oh? You want to discuss ours then?" James and Sirius growled lowly in their throat at his words; Elena, Bonnie and Caroline gasped while Matt threw his best friend a glare of disbelief. But Jeremy's reaction was priceless; for the second time that day, Tyler found himself being punched by a Gilbert, "You shut up about my sister!"

Matt held a furious Tyler back as he went to punch Jeremy, and Ember and Elena scrambled over to his side, protecting their brother. "Stop it!" the twins shrieked in unison.

Matt had had enough, pushing Tyler back hard, he shouted, "You know what, how about all of you shut up and help me find my sister?" After that, they all split up, and just as Tyler headed out, he threw Ember a nasty glare.

"Dick!" Ember and Jeremy muttered in sync. Ember hugged her little brother, "Thank you for defending my honor, Jer-Bear." Elena began pulling at her hair and Ember knew she was biting the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from lecturing Jeremy. "Hey, Jer how about you help Mattie search for Vicki."

Once Jeremy all but ran far from Elena, Ember gathered her into a hug and sat back down on their booth, "Elena –"

"No! Jeremy is dealing now, Em. Why am I the only one worried about this?" Elena snapped angrily.

Letting out a loud exhale of breath, Ember calmly spoke up, "It's a phase, Laney. Besides its _Vicki_. It's not like Jer is selling them to random addicts on the streets; he's trying to impress the girl he has a major crush on, leave the parenting for Aunt Jenna."

Elena nodded glumly and the twins sat in a comfortable silence waiting for their friends to trickle back in. Just as Bonnie and Caroline returned with Vicki, Matt and Jeremy not far apart, Elena excused herself and went back home.

While Matt was bandaging Vicki's gruesome bite, Ember joined them. Acting nonchalant, Ember kindly spoke to Vicki, "Hey, Vicki, out of curiosity, what bit you?"

"Uh, it was an animal; I didn't get a good look at it. Sorry," Vicki smiled apologetically.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I was just curious. Anyways I'm glad you're okay." Ember joined her booth again, her mind whirring with confusion; yesterday Vicki exclaimed vampire, and today she declared animal… it didn't make sense. Ember could tell that Vicki was being completely honest; was it possible that the Potters or the Blacks managed to obliviate her first?

Ember was abruptly snapped out of her reverie when Stefan approached their table, "Hey, Ember, do you know where Elena is?"

"She left for home around ten minutes ago," Ember confided, a huge smile on her face.

Bonnie perked up, "I'm gonna give you Elena's number and her email. She is _big_ on texting, and you can tell her … 'I said so'."

Stefan gave Bonnie a thankful look and reached out for the slip of paper. Suddenly, Bonnie's eyes expanded and she harshly whispered, "What happened to you?" Ember and Caroline gaped at her in shock – Bonnie was never one to be rude; Bonnie slapped a hand over her mouth, "That's so rude. I'm sorry, excuse me." She ran out of the Grill as though she were being chased.

Stefan gave Ember and Caroline a questioning stare; Caroline shrugged, "Yeah, she kind of wigs out. It's like _her thing_." Rolling her eyes, Ember got up, "Care, I'm leaving, you good on your own?"

Caroline bobbed her head, "Yup, I'm gonna leave in a few."

"Kay," Ember turned to face Stefan, "You want to catch a ride with me? Talk to Elena?"

Stefan smiled kindly, "If you don't mind."

"Nah, come on," Ember made her way out of the Grill with Stefan hot on her heels just as the Brits were heading the same way. Unfortunately, their cars were parked right by Ember's and she let out a huff of frustration as James called out her name.

"Look!" Ember glared at them angrily, "What would it take to get it through your thick skulls? I don't _want_ to talk to you. I don't even want to look at you! So leave me alone!" And with that, Ember rushed into her car and hit the gas hard. "Okay, Stefan, just ask. I know you want to ask, let's just banish the giant elephant from the car."

Chuckling, Stefan asked, "Who are they? You seem angry whenever you're around one of them."

"The Potters are my biological parents." Seeing Stefan's surprised expression, Ember smiled, "Come on, do I really resemble Elena that much?"

"Actually, yeah. I mean, other than your hair and eye color, you and Elena kind of resemble each other," Stefan pointed out. Ember smiled, "That's the best compliment. Thank you." Clearing her throat, Ember carried on with her previous tale, "When I was a little over a year old, the Potters dumped me by an orphanage on a cold November night, after midnight with nothing but a bundle of blankets. I woke up and crawled away. My Dad and Uncle John found me by a dumpster, bleeding and bawling my lungs out."

A repulsive look highlighted Stefan's features, "That's, that's despicable."

"Yup," Ember agreed wholeheartedly, "And the funny thing is, Harold Potter is my twin. They preferred him over me for … private reasons, and threw me away. They didn't even leave a name or birthdate. Just tossed me away with nothing but a blanket."

"I didn't think it could have gotten any worse," Stefan was horror-struck; there were really disgusting beings out there worse than vampires in his opinion. Living for over 145 years, it was rare for Stefan Salvatore to be shocked to his core.

Ember let out a mirthless laugh, "Oh, it gets worse; I just found out they have a daughter. For years I thought they just wanted to raise Harold alone, but they were quite pleased with Violet's birth. Anyways," Ember parked the car by her house, "Come in, Elena's probably in her room."

Stefan cautiously walked over the threshold and smiled fondly, his eyes lighting up when Elena rushed down to meet him. "I'm gonna leave you two lovebirds alone, holler if you need anything," imparting them with a wink, Ember went to her room for some well-deserved shut eye.

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Tyler Lockwood – Michael Trevino**_

 _ **Matt Donovan – Zach Roerig**_

 _ **Hermione Granger – Emma Watson**_

 _ **Ginny Weasley – Bonnie Wright**_

 _ **Violet Potter – Maia Mitchell**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Another chapter done. Hope you liked it.**

 **R &R.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 4:**

"I'm not saying don't date the guy. I'm just saying take it slow," Bonnie was telling Elena as the three girls aimlessly walked around Mystic Falls High. Bonnie had been acting weird ever since she held a tiny smidge of skin contact with Stefan last night.

"You were the one who said to go for it," Elena reminded her with a flabbergasted look upon her face.

Bonnie nodded, but adamantly said, "Now I'm saying take it slow. You're single for the first time in your entire high school career. It's the _perfect_ time to play the field."

Ember scoffed, "'Cause Elena is _so_ that girl." Elena nodded in agreement, "Exactly what Em said. That's more Ember's style- _Ouch_!" Elena pouted, rubbing the back of her head where she had just been smacked, courtesy of a pouting Ember Gilbert.

"Look, Bon-Bon, is this about last night when you accidentally touched Stefan?" Ember asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Elena whirled to face Bonnie, curiosity gleaming in her chocolate brown eyes.

Bonnie slumped in defeat and weakly said, "Yes, okay, _fine_! When I accidentally touched Stefan, I got a really bad feeling." Her words only succeeded in earning herself two identical incredulous stares from the gaping Gilbert twins. " _Ugh_ , it was _bad_ bad!"

Unsurely, Chocolate brown met emerald green and after a hesitant nod, Elena skeptically asked, "Is this about the whole _witch_ mojo thing again?" But instead of being met with a clear answer, Bonnie let out a loud huff of aggravation and backtracked.

"You know what? I'm just concerned. This is _me_ expressing concern about my best friend's new boyfriend."

"And I love you for it, I do," Elena reassured her, "But I feel good. It's been a hard year, and I'm starting to kind of feel like things are getting back to normal again. And you know what? Stefan is a _big_ part of that," Elena concluded.

Ember clutched her chest in a fake wounded manner and said, " _Ouch!_ Wow, Laney, love you too, sis." Elena cheekily stuck her tongue out at her and the three girls burst out laughing; Ember's antics always managed to lighten them up. "Anyhoo, I'm gonna leave you two alone, I want to call a friend from Boarding School," Ember casually informed them, giving Elena a meaningful look, making her nod in comprehension.

Separating herself from Elena and Bonnie, Ember scrolled down through her list of contacts, stopping at one of her best friends from Ilvermorny; unlike the British wizarding community, the Americans heavily relied on and accepted No-Maj technology – after Rappaport's Law was repealed, of course – and managed to link them with magic using the art of Technomancy.

 **Hey, want to meet up at say 4 today?**

 **-Ember xx.**

She grumbled as she sat down in her regular seat for History with Mr. Douche Tanner, a frown puckering on her forehead when she noticed Caroline's customary seat behind her was empty. "Hey, Bonnie, where is Care?"

Bonnie shrugged, equally concerned, "I kept calling her, but she's not answering –"

They were interrupted by Tanner's droning voice as it boomed loudly, explaining the events of World War II. _Yippee –_ note the sarcasm; Ember already knew everything there was to know about World War I and II. Ilvermorny's curriculum was way more ahead than Mystic Falls High, and while Tanner droned on and on, Ember discretely watched Bonnie doodle into her notebook, ' _8, 14, 22_ ' confusing her further, especially when she took note of Bonnie's cloudy hazel orbs.

"Miss Gilbert?"

Tanner's voice had both Elena and Ember jump in their seats, but he only had eyes for a sheepish and red-faced Elena, ignoring the know-it-all Hermione's hand as she nearly toppled off her seat to get him to ask her instead. "Pearl Harbor?" he repeated his question.

Ember smirked; she was going to have fun with this and mess with Tanner, "December 7, 1941."

Tanner glared at her and sarcastically sneered, "Thank you, _Miss_ Gilbert."

Ember shrugged, "You didn't specify which Gilbert, _Mr_. Tanner." The class made collective mocking sounds around the room and Tanner's face turned an alarming purple, depicting his rage. "Very well. The fall of the Berlin wall," he challenged.

"1989," Ember drawled out in a bored voice, faking a yawn. "I already learned all this before. Is that the best you got?" Ember smirked at the challenge, and the whole class held their breaths in anticipation. It was so easy setting Tanner at edge, and he never failed to react.

"Alright then. Keep it to the year. Civil Rights Act." And on it went; John F. Kennedy assassination, Martin Luther King, Lincoln, Roe vs. Wade, Brown vs. Board, the battle of Gettysburg – Ember answered every single question correctly without missing a beat.

"Korean war?"

"1950 to 1953," Ember scoffed glancing down at her nails.

A gleeful smile took over Tanner's face and he looked like he had just won the lottery, "Ha! It ended in ' _52_."

From the middle of the classroom, Hermione Granger's bossy voice boomed out, "Mr. Tanner is _obviously_ correct. It was 1952."

"Wow, the teacher's pet finally speaks," Ember sneered, making everyone but the Brits and Mr. Tanner chuckle. Hermione turned red in a mixture of rage and mortification, but Stefan surprised everyone by speaking up in Ember's defense, "Uh, actually, sir, it _was_ ' _53_."

There was utter silence in the classroom as Tanner glared between a smug Ember and an adamant Stefan and he growlingly snapped, "Look it up, somebody. Quickly!"

A few seconds later, Josh Riggs crowed out in triumph, "It was 19 … _53_!" and the whole class broke out into a loud round of applause just as the bell rang and Ember gave a mocking bow.

"Aww, the know-it-all got a question wrong, _boo-hoo_ ," Ember mocked Hermione as they left class, ignoring the way the bushy-haired bitch bristled in anger; she then high-fived Stefan. "Thanks for the help partner," she winked, causing Stefan to chuckle and Elena to stare at her sister and boyfriend in amusement.

After classes ended, Ember went to change into her cheerleading uniform – she was after all, the Captain of the Squad and tardiness was unacceptable on her part as it would set a bad example. As she was nearing the field and the rest of her girls, her phone beeped with a text;

 **Sure, Liberty Lane?**

 **I'll be waiting Carrie's Cauldron,**

 **-Anya XOXO**

"Where the hell is Caroline?" Ember shouted, her eyes searching through the entire sports ground for her bubbly, blonde best friend, but her squad merely shrugged, nonplussed. "Ok, if she isn't here in … ten minutes, then we'll have to start practice without her."

"Oh, my God! You're here!" Bonnie squealed, Ember turned around, a proud smile on her face when she noted Elena approaching them in uniform. Miranda Gilbert was the captain of the cheerleading squad during her high school days, and often pushed the twins towards tryouts; after Ember was officially elected as captain, their mom threw a huge celebratory party, sparing no expenses. Ember however, understood that Elena would be detached with the whole cheerleading gig now that their mom wasn't there to support them and cheer them on anymore.

"Yep. I can't be sad girl forever. Besides, my twinny is the captain, it would be scandalous if I quit," Elena giggled. Ember looped an arm around her twin and smirked, "Good answer, Laney."

Elena nudged her shoulder playfully, "Anyways, tonight dinner at our place and you're coming Bonnie."

"I am?" Bonnie piped up in confusion.

"Mm-hmm. You, me, Ember and Stefan," at the mention of Stefan's name, Bonnie's face dropped drastically and she began shaking her head, an excuse at the tip of her tongue. Elena huffed, adopting her famous pout, "You _have_ to give him a chance."

Ember drowned out their argument when she noticed Hermione, Violet, Cassiopeia and Ginny walking towards her squad, and she silently excused herself from their company as she went to face the four Brits, "Can I help you? This is a private practice."

Ginny flipped her auburn hair to the side and spoke up, "Vi, Cassie and I want to join the squad." Ember folded her arms together and raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow, her eyes lingered on the bushy-haired bitch, "Then why is Granger here?"

"Moral support," she sneered before huffing and stomping her foot like an indulgent child, her haughty eyes scanning the scantily dressed girls in displeasure, "Although I tried convincing them not to join. Cheerleading is for idiotic, airheaded bimbos with a zero I.Q that throws tantrums over a broken nail and who to snog at the latest party." Her voice carried on loudly in the air and the whole squad bristled in anger; she sensed Elena and Bonnie stand on either side of her for support. Ginny, Violet and Cassiopeia however, buried their faces in their hands and groaned loudly at her words.

"I see," Ember pursed her lips, her emerald eyes flickering to each angry and insulted member of her squad, and she raised the volume of her voice, "It seems we've got ourselves a fan of stereotypes here, ladies." The squad began murmuring angrily; a unified agreement to Ember's words. Ember then faced the three embarrassed Brits, "Well, sorry to burst your bubbles girls, but there are no slots for three girls, we're already full."

Before Hermione could open her big, fat mouth, Cassiopeia spoke up, "Can we at least talk to the captain. No offense to you, but with your enmity towards us, we don't quite believe you."

Ember smirked and the muttering of her loyal squad intensified like a swarm of angry bees, "Sorry, _Cassie_ , is it? But you're looking at her –"

"But you're not a blonde," Hermione inquired rudely.

"Wow, stereotype much?" Bonnie scoffed; Bonnie and Caroline were the only individuals not from the Gilbert family who knew about Ember's biological family – they didn't know about her being a witch, though.

Ember flashed the four Brits a dangerous shark-like smile, flashing a full set of pearly white teeth at them, "Listen girls, our squad has a limited member of sixteen girls, I'm sure you can count for yourselves –"

"There's only fifteen," Violet interjected softly. However, before anyone could respond to her observation, a familiar cheerful, bubbly voice crowed out, "Sorry I'm late girls. Ember, don't kill me!" Caroline pleaded as she rushed over to her side.

"Oh, my God. Is that the mystery guy from the Grill?" Bonnie asked curiously. Ember's eyes widened at the sexy guy with raven black hair and electric blue eyes who was lazily leaning against his car and smirking at her scantily dressed squad.

"That's not a mystery guy. Care, you're dating Damon Salvatore?" Elena turned to face a beaming Caroline. The four best friends seemed to have forgotten the Brits presence among them as they stared between Caroline and Damon questioningly.

"Wait, Stefan's big bro? _Nice_ ," Ember winked at Caroline, who saucily winked back. Ember faced the four Brits, "Sorry girls, but my fourteenth member arrived and we have practice. You're free to watch from the sidelines, Toodles." Ember waved at them with her fingers and briskly walked over to the rest of her squad, "Now that our very own Caroline Forbes arrived from her _previous engagement_ , let's start with the double pike herkey hurdler. And 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 –"

During practice, Ember noticed Elena was slowing the squad down. Not wanting to freeze her out and draw attention to her, she cancelled practice early and took her aside, "Laney, you're not up to par with us."

Elena pouted and sighed sadly, "I know. I'm not as good as you, Em. I'm out of practice."

"Hey, hey, hey. I know, Laney and I'm not scolding you or kicking you from the squad. Bonnie, Care and I will work with you, and you'll be up to speed, kay?"

Elena beamed and embraced her twin in a tight hug. "Thanks, Em. What are your plans until dinner?" she inquired curiously.

"I'm meeting a friend at Liberty Lane. I'm gonna try and get information about Bonnie, or whatever the hell is going on with her with all this witch business. You wanna join?" Ember asked. Elena had met some of her friends from Ilvermorny, and even entered the magical world with her on a few occasions.

"Nah, I'm gonna hang out with Jenna until then. Don't be late, and let me know what you find out."

* * *

"Anya! Hey sweetie," Ember beamed, embracing her American friend. Anya Scott; she had blonde hair, pale skin and brown eyes; she was a half-blood and one of her best friends that graduated with her from Ilvermorny. Her mother was a pureblood from Bulgaria who fell in love with lawyer Jason Scott, an American No-Maj, when she came for a visit with her family.

It was thanks to Anya's Bulgarian connections that had her and their closest friends obtain tickets to the 422nd Quidditch World Cup final that was held in England three years ago.

"Emmy, I missed you sweet pea, how's everything in Mystic Falls? I'm so sorry about your parents," Anya grimaced, throwing her arms around Ember for another tight embrace.

Ember shot her a soft smile, "I'm dealing with it. Not in a healthy way, I assure you, but it's getting better day by day."

They spent the entire afternoon entertaining each other with inane chitchat and catching up on everything; since Grayson and Miranda died, Ember alienated herself from the magical community and her friends from Ilvermorny, and this was her first day back. Ember then proceeded to inform Anya of the vampire situation before bringing up the confusing matter of Bonnie and her 'witchyness'.

Anya frowned slightly, her index finger lightly tapping her lips as she pondered the certain enigma, "Now, I don't know _what_ exactly the deal is with your friend, but there are rumors of spirit witches -"

"I'm sorry? Spirit witches?" Ember asked cynically.

"They are similar to wiccan witches, but not practitioners, Emmy. They call themselves, 'Servants of Nature' and unlike us, they don't have a magical core, more like they –"

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I have just returned from Liberty Lane where I had a wonderful lunch with one of my best friends, Anya Scott, and let me tell you, my mind is whirring with this new information overload._

 _I have yet to inform Elena of my discovery as she is downstairs with Bonnie arranging the takeout into fancy plates for dinner with Stefan – like that would fool anyone._

 _It was quite a commonly known fact in America and all around the globe that there_ _ **are**_ _practitioners who believe in witchcraft and_ _ **think**_ _themselves witches, when in reality,_ _ **they are not**_ _. But now, knowing that there are different types called Servants of Nature – well let me tell you, I should get used to the fact that there are many unknowns in the vast world we live in._

 _Seven years ago, my whole family and I believed magic, wizards and witches, wands, dragons, unicorns and all that jazz was merely fairy tales and stories of make belief._

 _According to Anya; these 'Servants of Nature' make it their duty to maintain balance within the world. They do not have a magical core within them, unlike us wand-wielders. We are born with magic running in the blood within our veins; magic is an important part of us, like a limb. But the Servants of Nature heavily rely on the spirits of their ancestors for guidance and spells and the use of their magic; they rely on nature itself._

 _Servants of Natures aren't powerful in comparison to us witches and wizards, and that sucks for them, especially since heavy use of their magic could end up killing them or make them weaker – wearing them down._

 _Anyways, that's all for today dear diary. I hear the doorbell, meaning Stefan has arrived and Elena would need my help playing mediator between him and Bonnie._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

Well, till now, the dinner was very awkward and a complete bust. Every time Elena tried bringing up a subject, Bonnie would shoot her down with a snappish retort, effectively terminating any conversation. It wasn't until Elena urged her to relay to Stefan about the lineage of witches in her family, did she mellow out upon hearing Stefan's response.

"My family came by way of Salem," Bonnie dismissively informed Stefan, and Ember took note of the impressive look that dawned over Stefan's features.

"I would say that's pretty cool. Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity," Stefan commented, and Ember wanted to do a silly dance when Bonnie's face finally broke out into a smile.

The night took an interesting turn when Caroline interrupted their dinner with Damon in tow. Stefan's attitude changed drastically and he kept shooting glares at Damon who kept a smug smirk plastered on his face as they congregated in the living room for desert.

Something about Damon Salvatore had Ember on edge; she didn't like judging people so quickly; Grayson Gilbert always said, 'Never judge a book by its cover,' but Ember's magic was swirling in her veins whenever Damon spoke up. It felt as though her magic was warning her, telling her that Damon wasn't to be trusted; at Ilvermorny, Ember was taught to always _trust_ her magic, in her instincts, and Ember was going to keep a close eye on him, especially since her twin was dating his brother and her best friend was unfortunately dating him.

"I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team," Caroline giggled. "Tyler must be _seething_. But good for you. Go for it," she beamed at Stefan who responded with a nervous smile.

"That's what I always tell him. You have to _engage_. You can't sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it," Damon smirked, and Ember could sense that his words of wisdom were factitious, and possibly held a double meaning.

Clearing her throat, Ember spoke up, "Care, Bon-Bon, I need you two to help Elena with the routine for cheerleading. Can I count on you two?"

"Absolutely," Caroline squealed in excitement while Bonnie nodded rapidly. Elena flashed her twin a grateful smile and unfortunately, Damon decided to converse with Ember for the first time since their introduction.

"You know, you and Elena don't seem like the cheerleading type. I actually thought Caroline was captain, not you," Damon smirked. Ember wanted to rip that damn smirk of his completely off his face.

Rolling her eyes, Ember gave him a pleasantly fake smile, "What is up with all the cheerleading stereotypes I've been hearing today? Is it because Elena and I aren't blonde? Is that it?"

Damon held his hands up in a surrender motion, "No offense, of course."

"None taken," Ember responded sweetly, her emerald eyes flashing with distaste.

After that, the night continued without a hitch, and when the Salvatores, Bonnie and Caroline left, Ember regaled to Elena everything Anya informed her about Servants of Natures and that it was possible that Bonnie was one.

"Before you go to sleep, Laney, try avoiding Damon Salvatore as much as possible."

Elena halted and stared at Ember in concern, "Why? Did something happen? I noticed that you didn't like him."

Ember dragged both hands through her hair nervously, "It's just, my magic, Laney. It's giving me these off vibes, like a hostile reception in regards to Damon, almost as though it's warning me. Just please, for my peace of mind, keep your distance from him."

"Alright, I promise," Elena nodded; after all, she trusted Ember and if her magic was giving her warning signals, then they would be fools to ignore it. Magic was a part of Ember's anatomy and it would never lead her astray.

* * *

"Aw, that is so pretty, who gave it to you?" Ember questioned her sister. They were currently waiting for the football game to start and throw their pompoms in the air. Apparently, Damon tried convincing Elena to quit the team – _that asshole_! But Elena didn't listen to him; not wanting to disappoint her sister and also, knowing that if she quit, one of the Brits would take her spot, and she couldn't do that to her twin.

Elena beamed, fingering the necklace that was wound around her neck, "Stefan!"

"Huh, I didn't know you reached the stage for gifts, way to go Laney. You got yourself a keeper," Ember winked, nudging her shoulder before stiffening once she noticed the Potters and Blacks sitting with the audience. Elena grabbed her hand and gently escorted her over to the rest of the squad.

"Ignore them, Em."

Ember noticed that while her squad were dancing, doing their moves and cheering the team on, James and Lily Potter, and Sirius and Marlene Black couldn't keep their eyes off of her, and Ember hated that. She ignored them to the best of her ability, but she couldn't deny that it wasn't unnerving. She wished that they could just blurt out their real intentions; somehow Ember couldn't let her guard down and found it hard to believe that they didn't have a secret agenda behind their act of kindness and wishes to get to know her.

A commotion snapped Ember from her thoughts, and she whipped around to see Tyler and Jeremy engaged in a gruesome fight while Vicki Donovan desperately yelled at them to stop; mostly Tyler.

Elena and Stefan joined her and the three of them rushed over to break up the fight.

"Tyler! Enough! What the fuck is wrong with you?" Ember shrieked at the top of her lungs; dating Tyler for four years made her somewhat of an expert on his mood swings, the most noticeable was that Tyler had anger issues, and could become really volatile when you were facing his ire. And as for his temper? Well, let's say that pissing off Tyler Lockwood was as easy as finding a hotdog stand in the middle of Time Square.

Tyler glared at Ember who stood between him and Jeremy who was on the ground reaching out for an empty beer bottle, and he pushed her aside, thankfully falling into Stefan's arms. He instantly placed her upright.

"What the hell Tyler!" Elena's scream rang throughout the pitch as she joined her twin's side in concern. Stefan grabbed Tyler, "He's down, he's down! _Enough_!" Tyler snarled and punched Stefan, but shockingly, it had no effect on him. Elena, Ember and Tyler were too busy gaping at Stefan's strength in shock that they failed to notice Jeremy aiming to strike Tyler with a beer bottle.

"Look out!" someone yelled, Ember noticed that it was Violet Potter and that the whole group of Brits had their attention solely fixed on their fight. Stefan grabbed the bottle halfway into the air, cutting his hand deep enough to draw blood.

"Jeremy, no!" Elena yelled in alarm. Ember nudged her head; silently informing her to check on Stefan's bleeding hand, while she charged over to Jeremy. "What the hell, Jeremy? Put your head up, you're bleeding," without waiting for a response, Ember pulled Jeremy by the hair, yanking his head backward, "How many times must I tell you to stay away from Tyler, Jer. He has anger issues."

"Hark whose talking, Em! He actually hurt you," Jeremy snarled, but his soft brown eyes were studying his sister in concern.

"Yeah, well," Ember shrugged nonchalantly, "Someone has to keep your troublesome ass safe," she smiled, garnering a chuckle from Jeremy. She left him on his own for a while and stomped over to Vicki, "Listen up, Donovan, personally, I have no problem with you, but if you're going to lead my brother on and get him involved with fights between Tyler, then back the hell off!"

Vicki glared at her, a small sneer becoming pronounced on her face, "Who the hell do you think you are? If I want to see Jeremy, then there is nothing your hoity ass can do about it!"

Ember stalked over to her, barely leaving any personal space between them, "I'm being a good big sister. You should know the feeling since you also have a little brother." Vicki's eyes widened slightly at that and Ember shot her a parting smirk, "Glad to see we have an understanding. Nice talking to you, _Vick_."

"Hey are you okay?" Ember turned around and found herself facing James. Pinching the bridge of her nose in aggravation, she flashed him a fake smile, "Peachy keen. Can I help you with something?"

"Uh, no. I just wanted to check up on you," James mumbled nervously. Ember gave him a stiff nod and went to join Elena, Bonnie and Caroline by the edge of the football pitch.

"What are we talking about?" she inquired.

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Elena is asking about that weird witchy mojo thingy when she touched Stefan." Elena mock-glared at Caroline before giving Bonnie her full attention.

Bonnie seemed nervous having her three best friends staring at her questioningly, but acquiesced, "It wasn't clear like a picture. Like today, I keep seeing those same numbers I told you about … 8,14, 22." Caroline was confused, but Elena nodded and emerald eyes flashed with recognition as Ember vividly recalled her strange doodling in history class the other day. "When I touched Stefan, it was a feeling. And it vibrated through me, and it was cold, and it…"

Bonnie trailed off alarmingly; Ember, Elena and Caroline however, were deeply immersed in Bonnie's description. "And what?" Caroline breathed out impatiently; the suspense was killing her!

Bonnie gave the redhead, brunette and blonde uncertain and freaked out glances, "It was death. It's what I imagine death to be like."

Ember's mind whizzed at the thought of the many possibilities; was Stefan maybe a psycho killer? But he was too nice, so that couldn't be it. Maybe a Dark Wizard … the problem was, Ember's magic didn't act out when she was in close contact with Stefan, only around Damon, so he couldn't be dangerous.

She pulled Elena to a more private spot, away from curious ears, "Why did you ask Bonnie? What's going on?"

Elena had a wary expression settle on her face, "You saw Stefan's hand bleed right? After Jeremy hit him with the bottle?" Upon receiving a nod of confirmation from Ember, Elena rushed onwards with her words, "Stefan had no cut, nothing. His hand wasn't even bleeding. He said that Jer missed, but I _know_ what I saw. You're the expert in all this, Em. What does it mean?"

Ember was silent for a moment as she pondered the endless possibilities before finally saying in slow tones, stressing each word out as they tumbled from her mouth, "Either, we _both_ saw wrong, which, I highly doubt it," she scoffed. "Or…"

" _Or_?" Elena pushed impatiently.

" _Or_ , Stefan isn't exactly human, Laney."

* * *

Ember, Bonnie and Caroline huddled into each other as they watched the commotion taking place by school's parking lot.

Mr. Tanner's body was found, his neck was violently ripped apart and his corpse was drowning in a large puddle of his own blood.

 _Vampire; the vampire still hadn't left town._

Glancing over to her right, she noticed the Brits staring right _at_ _her_ with wide eyes, and a silent message was transmitted; beware of the vampire on the loose. Bonnie's shaken voice sounded out in whispering tones over the hubbub of the police.

"License plate 'BLDG _8_. The car is 'FHT _14_ ' and look at the ground, number _22_. What the hell is happening to me?" she sobbed, and although Ember and Caroline were as equally freaked out, they engulfed their frightened and hysterical friend in a soothing hug.

This damn vampire needed to be caught; it wasn't a friendly one and Ember couldn't let it roam freely around town any longer. The vampire needed to be caught once and for all before her loved ones became the next victims.

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Hermione Granger – Emma Watson**_

 _ **Violet Potter – Maia Mitchell**_

 _ **Ginny Weasley – Bonnie Wright**_

 _ **Cassiopeia Black – Ashley Benson**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Tyler Lockwood – Michael Trevino**_

 _ **Vicky Donovan – Kayla Ewell**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Anya Scott – Peyton List**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Did you all like how I included Caroline in everything and didn't make her act mean to Elena?**

 **Question; anyone from the wizarding world you want me to introduce? And Caroline … should I have her find out about vampires during season 2 when she is in transition or before?**

 **R &R.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 5:**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I feel there is something amiss in the very air I currently breathe; something is off in Mystic Falls, and my magic is beginning to react with the chronic danger; something ominous._

 _Mr. Tanner died; I can't even bring myself to mock him in death – it may look like I hated the dude, but really, Tanner wasn't so bad. I honestly anticipated our daily arguments, and now, a man who taught me at school, a man I've known for years since childhood, a man who was a part of our town, was ripped away from the world._

 _Whoever this mystery vampire is, should be captured, effective immediately! First Vicki, and now Tanner – Vicki must be counting her lucky stars she managed to survive – but then again, those are the two victims_ _ **WE**_ _know; who knows how many countless deaths were hidden, buried in some cold ditch somewhere, their bodies never to be discovered, never to be given a proper burial and send off into the afterlife by their families._

 _Okay, enough with the depressive thoughts …_

 _Bonnie is freaking out, and I didn't expect any less. She actually_ _ **saw**_ _Tanner's death approaching due to the three numbers, '8, 14, 22' that kept reverberating through her head. Definitely a Servant of Nature; poor Bon-Bon, she should start believing in herself and Grams, and start practicing her magic otherwise she's screwed._

 _My magic has been crackling and sizzling in my veins for two days now (That's the best way I can explain it) – it's like, my magic is awake, with a mind of its own, constantly warning me that danger lies ahead and to take care; it's_ _ **infuriating**_ _me._

 _The Stefan oddity had been plaguing my mind as well; unlike his brother, my magic is at ease around him and so, whatever he is, I know he means Elena no harm, but the fact that his cut healed in an instant – that's just mind-boggling. Ever since I returned home after Tanner was killed, my mind has been whirring with all that I learned in Ilvermorny, trying to come up with the perfect, most sensible explanation – but I got nothing. Nada._ _ **Zilch**_ _!_

 _Ugh, I am so annoyed! I'm just gonna sign out and hope the answer comes to me at the most random moment and solve this damn mystery once and for all._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

"Jenna, what's got you so frazzled?" Ember, who had trudged over to the coffee pot to fill herself a nice mug of steamy caffeine, quizzically stared at her groused Aunt. Elena beamed at her twin and sat alongside her by the island, both of them patiently awaiting Jenna's reply.

"Two problems; the news reported _a mountain lion_ walking around town," concern clouded Jenna's face. "Headline is that the _mysterious 'animal attacks'_ is solved now that the lion has been captured. Case closed."

Electrified, Ember nearly knocked her coffee as she shot up in her seat in shock and surprise, "The vampire covered its track. That's actually very smart, meaning he isn't blinded by bloodlust, _meaning_ we've got a dangerous vampire on our hands." Ember bit her lip worriedly; never before had she come across a smart vampire – the allure for blood was so strong they usually feed and move on, not stick around town.

Elena stroked Ember's back soothingly, equally worried. She looked back at Jenna and frowned, "You said two problems, that's only one?"

"The _Scum_ -ball is back," Jenna grumbled angrily; upon receiving two confused blinks, she clarified, "Scum bucket? Also known as Logan 'Scum' Fell."

"Oh, the cute news reporter," Ember smirked cheekily, eliciting giggles from Elena. Jenna looked horrified and vehemently shook her head in indignation, "He is _not_ cute. There's _nothing_ cute about him –"

"So you're telling me you dated him for his wonderful personality?" Ember raised an eyebrow in contemplation. Jenna smacked her lightly atop the head, unable to comeback with a perfect response. Elena smirked, "I remember mom telling us you moved away from Mystic Falls because of him."

"Yup, Scum bucket cheated on me," Jenna informed them with a pout.

"Dick," Ember muttered, "So basically Logan Fell to you is like Tyler Lockwood to me, except your guy didn't need anger management sessions and I didn't run away from Mystic Falls because of him."

"Basically," Jenna shrugged, her brows rising in consideration as she observed Elena riffling through a box on the island. "What are you doing with that?"

"I went yesterday and got it from the safe deposit box," Elena explained cheerfully, taking out a couple of trinkets and setting them on the table for Ember and Jenna to see. "Mom had told Mrs. Lockwood she would loan it to the Founder's Council for their heritage display."

Ember picked out an archaic ring that had a huge emerald rock and fondly smiled, "That's great-great-grandma Mary's wedding ring." She placed it on her ring finger and admired it for a moment while Jenna complimented on its old-fashioned detailing and how it brought out the color of her emerald eyes, just as Jeremy walked into the room.

"Cool. How much do you think this stuff is worth? You know, like on EBay?" Jeremy's smirk gave him away and in unison, the twins stuck their tongue out at him.

"You can find out, but if you sell a piece, I'll kill you," Elena teased.

Jeremy stuck his tongue back in rebuttal before indignantly saying, "That stuff is mom and dads though. You can't just give it away." Ember dragged him over to sit between her and Jenna and ruffled his shaggy hair, "Jer-Bear, it's called a _loan_. Like we'd ever give away our ancestor's trinkets to the Council. Chillax, they're just for display."

Jeremy smiled and let out a breath of relief as the doorbell rang. Jenna went over and smiled, admitting Stefan into the house and the three of them watched as a beaming Elena grabbed his hand and dragged a bemused Stefan up to her room.

"Don't forget to wear a condom, I'm too young to be an aunt," Ember teasingly called after them. Jenna and Jeremy snorted into their hands just as Elena's scandalized voice reached their ears, "Ember Gilbert! Shut up!"

"Stop teasing your sister, Em," Jenna laughed, only receiving an innocent shrug in reply.

"Jer-Bear, would you like to be my date for the party?" Ember asked her brother, rearranging her face into the cutest puppy dog expression ever seen. 'No' was at the tip of Jeremy's tongue, however, looking at giant emerald green orbs watering with tears, and pouty pink lips sticking out to its full effect, quivering, made him groan loudly in defeat, "Ugh! I hate you. Yes, okay. But if I get bored, I'm out of there in a heartbeat."

* * *

"Hey girlies," Ember greeted Bonnie and Caroline, sitting down beside her blonde bestie at their regular booth at the Grill. Caroline squealed and drew her in for a suffocating hug while Bonnie offered a small wave paired with a fond smile. "Woah, Care, ease up on the hyperness, what's got you in a good mood- oh, you're glowing. You had sex didn't you?" she smirked suggestively, lewdly wagging her brows.

"Yes!" Caroline chirped unabashedly, "Damon Salvatore is totally rocking my world." Caroline was so immersed in her daydreams of Damon, she didn't realize Ember's smile drop instantly at the mention of Damon's name, but Bonnie did and she shot her a 'what's wrong' look. Ember merely shook her head and shrugged.

"So, Care is taking Damon to the founder's party," Bonnie causally imparted.

Ember raised a brow at the blonde, "Really? Huh, Liz ain't gonna like that. You know, your mom, the _Sherriff_."

Caroline scoffed, unbothered, "And I'm supposed to care, why?"

"He's older sexy danger guy," Bonnie told her as though that explained everything. Ember didn't care about that fact though; Tyler was her danger guy, and the only reason her parents were laidback with the idea of them dating was only because Tyler was Mayor and Mrs. Lockwood's son and they were great family friends with them that went way back – although, Uncle John wasn't as agreeable, and had incessantly mentioned he preferred her to find a nice boy that attended Ilvermorny with her. Ember and Caroline got a rush at living on edge, and being wild, and if the circumstances were different, Ember would have cheered Caroline on, but something about Damon made her uneasy and her magic jittery.

"What else is new?" Caroline laughed in her bubbly manner, "Em and I had always been attracted to danger, Bonnie." Bonnie was unsure and they both glanced at Ember for support, silently gauging her facial expression to see whose side she was on.

Ember grimaced and collected her bearings, "Care, you know I love you, and _totally_ support you … but, Damon-, look there's something about him that makes my insides turn. He seems like bad news."

Caroline gaped at her best friend in shock; this moment would go down on record as the first time Ember wasn't on her side, and she knew if her fellow wild bestie had reserves on somebody, then she had a damn good reason. "Okay, let's drop the Damon subject. Who are you two taking?" Caroline asked, dropping the subject completely and focusing on a new topic.

"I'm taking Jeremy," Ember beamed, "That boy needs to get out more, he's drowning in drama over Vicki and Tyler." Caroline and Bonnie smiled at that; Jeremy had always been a little brother to them.

"How did you get him to agree?" Caroline smirked knowingly.

"Flashed him my puppy-dog face," Ember shrugged innocently. Bonnie shook her head in amusement, "That was so uncalled for. Nobody has ever been able to refuse you when you do that face."

Ember rubbed her nails across her top and smirked, "Eh, had to call out the big guns. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Anyways, what about you Bon-Bon, who are you taking?"

"No one," Bonnie pouted.

"Go with Elena," Caroline suggested; Ember shook her head, "Nah, she's taking Stefan. How about you tag along with me and Jer, huh?" Bonnie grinned and nodded in acceptance. "Yay! Now that we've settled that, I'm going to collect my dress from the store. I'll see you two later, yeah? Toodles."

"Bye!" they called out in sync after her retreating back.

Ember parked her car by the store's parking lot and groaned when she saw that Lily, Marlene, Violet, Hermione, Ginny and Cassiopeia were there picking out gowns for the party. _Get in, get out_ ; that's the plan. Ignoring the pair of eyes following her, Ember beamed at the manager, "Lacy, hi! Is my dress ready?"

"Oh, Ember, you're early. I'll have it out in a minute, dearie. Wait here a mo," Lacy smiled; she had been friends with Miranda when they attended high school and completely adored Ember and Elena. Drumming her fingers on the counter as she waited for Lacy, Ember noted from the corner of her eyes that Lily and Marlene were walking towards her.

"Ember?" Ember whipped around, a smile forming on her face at the sight of Carol Lockwood. "Oh, darling, how are you," Carol beamed, drawing Ember into a motherly hug. "I was so sad when Tyler informed me about your breakup, I had been looking forward to snagging you as my daughter-in-law," Carol told her forlornly.

"I'm sorry, Carol, it just wasn't working out," Ember said with a genuine smile; Richard and Carol Lockwood were like second parents to her and she loved them dearly; a part of her had always known that she postponed dumping Tyler and constantly made excuses for him was because she didn't want to be alienated by his parents.

"Ember darling, think nothing of it. As long as you continue visiting for tea, then I'll forgive you," Carol laughed cheekily, her eyes shining with mirth. They set up a date for lunch next week just as Lacy approached with her dress and after a last hug and kiss goodbye, Ember fled the store and drove back home.

* * *

"Tyler?"

When she went to answer the door, her ex-boyfriend was the last person Ember expected to see waiting on the other side. Schooling her features to blasé, Ember asked, "What are you doing here?"

He shifted nervously; although a part of him hoped he would run-in to Ember, he now wished that Elena, Jenna or even Jeremy answered the door. "I'm here for my mom. I was supposed to pick up a box of stuff."

Thank the lords for Elena's perfect timing; she came at that moment carrying said box. "Right here. Please be careful," Elena warned with a small smile. The situation was highly awkward, and of course, Jeremy had to show up and 'alleviate' the tension.

"Yeah, be careful with it, dick," he spat venomously. Groaning into one hand, Ember smacked Jeremy atop the head with the other and dragged him over to the living room away from prying ears, "Jer, that's enough. I get it you don't like the guy, but that doesn't mean you run your mouth every time he's nearby."

Jeremy fumed, glaring at his sister in disbelief, "That guy is an ass to Vicki, and he's playing her. Also, he was horrible to you. Why are you defending him?"

Ember's face softened and she embraced Jeremy, "Jer-Bear, I'm not defending him, believe me, I'm not. And you're right, he's an ass, but I'd prefer you stay away from him. He's got a temper, kay?" Jeremy nodded grudgingly and retreated back into his room just as Elena walked back in with a grimace, "That was so uncomfortable."

"Tell me about it," Ember mumbled as she took out her phone having received a text, "Care isn't coming over. Guess it's just you, me and Bonnie." Elena shrugged and went back to her room where Bonnie was frowning at two nail polish colors, undecided.

"Delicate flower vs. naughty vixen?" she asked once the twins joined her by the floor.

"Tough call," Elena feigned seriousness, "Can we mix them?" Ember giggled; she was glad her sister was becoming more like her previous self again, and was slowly beginning to lose the introvert attitude. Something told her it was all thanks to one, Stefan Salvatore.

Bonnie seemed to be thinking along the same lines, "Look at you, getting all pretty for your date. You seem happy- _ish_."

"I am … _ish_ ," Elena laughed. "Tonight's going to be a good night. But don't let that stop you from telling me whatever it is you wanted to tell me as soon as you walked in the door," Elena shot her a knowing look, inviting a sheepish expression to appear on Bonnie's face.

"Spit it out, Bon-Bon," Ember nudged her shoulder. Bonnie was the queen of avoidance and often at times, she needed a push to speak her mind.

"Okay, but it has to go in the vault, because Caroline _will_ _kill_ _me_ if it gets back to Damon that she squealed," Bonnie warned them, eliciting an eager yet unsure nod from Elena and a thoughtful frown from Ember. "Apparently Stefan has a very interesting back story."

Ember raised both brows and leaned forward, "Oh? Do tell."

"Do you know what happened with his ex-girlfriend Katherine?" Bonnie quizzed them, eyes alight with the gossip she had stored in her pretty little head.

"Katherine?" Ember asked bewilderly; she had never heard of a Katherine before.

Elena gasped in sudden remembrance, "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it to you. The other day when we arranged that dinner party thing, Damon walked in on me while I was cleaning the dishes and confided about her. _Apparently_ they _both_ dated her and _that's why_ they have issues."

"Kinky," was all Ember had been able to say, "Talk about a freaky love triangle."

"Yeah, they both dated her, only she chose _Damon_. And that drove Stefan mad, so he did horrible things to try and break them up," a disturbed Bonnie rushed out in one breath, "He manipulated Katherine. He filled her head with all these lies until finally it worked, and she turned against Damon."

There were a few minutes of silence as the twins processed this new piece of information, and Ember sensed Elena was having trouble believing it. "That sounds like Damon's side of the story, Bonnie," Ember pointed out, prompting a sigh of relief from Elena. Elena always trusted Ember's instincts, call it the magical blood in her, but Ember was wise beyond her years, and Elena always trusted her gut feelings over her own.

"I just wanted you to know," Bonnie shrugged, but it was clear to the twins that she was disturbed by what Caroline confided in her and believed Damon's side of the story.

"Anyway, his past relationships are none of my business," Elena adamantly spoke up, trying to assuage the tension in the room and put an end to the matter.

Bonnie grimaced, "Unless he's a calculating manipulative liar. _That_ is your business." Okay, it was time for Ember to interfere and add in her two cents, "Bon-Bon, the four of us have been best friends since diapers. Caroline knows by now that you won't be able to keep important information from Elena."

Elena and Bonnie frowned in sync, and Elena turned to face her sister, "What exactly are you saying?"

Gulping slowly, Ember stressed each word clearly, not liking where her thoughts were going, " _I'm saying_ , the person being manipulated here is _Caroline_ _by_ _Damon_. Like you said, the Salvatore brothers have major issues… how farfetched is it that Damon planted lies in Caroline's head, knowing perfectly well she would tell Bonnie or me, who in turn would relay it to you and cause problems between you and Stefan; hurting Stefan in the process."

Elena and Bonnie blanched, their faces paling rapidly. "Oh… my… God! That _son of a bitch._ He played us," Bonnie growled angrily, fisting a palm.

"I told you I had a bad feeling about him," Ember murmured lowly so that only Elena would be able to hear.

Bonnie was donning on a lavender dress with spaghetti straps, while Ember was getting into silver high heels that perfectly matched her emerald dress with a sweetheart neckline, bringing out her eyes, just as Elena's phone rang. She returned fuming a minute later, "That was Mrs. Lockwood. The pocket watch is missing. I bet you Jeremy snatched it up before I gave the box to Tyler."

Bonnie dispersed herself from the sibling argument and went to gather her heels. "Laney, the pocket watch goes to the firstborn son. Let Jeremy have it, kay?" Elena nodded sadly and Ember went over to his room.

"Don't you look dashing in a suit, Jer-Bear. All the girls are going to be so jealous," Ember winked. Jeremy laughed, his cheeks pinking up slightly as he fiddled with his tie. "Come here, baby bro. Let me fix your tie." Once she was done, she patted him and brushed away the lint from his shoulders, "Soooo, Mrs. Lockwood called, freaking out about the pocket watch being missing. Do you know anything about it?"

Jeremy shuffled guiltily; he could never lie to Ember. Sighing, he grudgingly opened his top drawer and placed it in her hand. Ember shook her head and returned it, clamping his hand around the watch, "It goes to the firstborn son. Dad was going to give it to you, keep it safe. Elena and I will cover for you with Carol, kay?"

"Thanks, Em," Jeremy's face broke out into a wide smile and he engulfed her in a hug, "You're the best."

* * *

Ember walked up to the front door of Lockwood Manor, flanked on both sides by Jeremy and Bonnie. Linking arms with them, the three walked in accepting welcomes from Mrs. Lockwood who stood by the door. Once she set eyes upon Ember however, she gasped audibly, "Ember, don't you look _smashing_. You too, Bonnie. Oh, and Jeremy, very handsome, very nice. Come in, come in."

Entering the manor, the first sight they were met with was Mayor Lockwood conversing with James Potter and Sirius Black, and Ember smiled when she felt Bonnie and Jeremy squeeze her hands in support. James and Sirius gaped wonderingly at Ember, mesmerized by her stunning beauty which, in turn, drew Mayor Lockwood's attention.

"Ember. Honey, you look beautiful, come here," he opened his arms and Ember rushed into his warm, paternal embrace. A moment later, he pulled apart and took a good look at her face, "Look at you. Don't you be a stranger, you hear me. I don't care if you and my son aren't together anymore; you have always been a welcome addition to my family." With that, he squeezed her shoulders.

"Thanks, May-, _Richard_ ," she stressed with a giggle, prompting a smile out of him. He then beamed at Jeremy and Bonnie, "You three kids have fun, okay."

They gave him a last wave and walked past James and Sirius whose eyes have been locked onto her familiar embrace with the Mayor the whole time.

"So, uh, how well do you know Ember Gilbert?" James asked uncomfortably. Richard Lockwood gave them a piercing gaze, "Well enough to know you're her biological father and you, Mr. Black are her godfather. Excuse me; I have many guests to greet."

"What do we do Padfoot? Rose wants nothing to do with us, she keeps blocking every chance I make in fixing things," James sighed in aggravation.

Sirius threw his best friend a pitying glance, "You start by admitting she is called Ember now. Prongs, I told you sixteen years ago that you and Lily shouldn't have given her up. I told you it would come to bite you in the ass, now you reap the consequences and respect her wishes."

"I can't. I need to fix things. We made a terrible mistake in giving her up," James cried out.

Sirius shot him a scrutinizing glare, "Is it a mistake because you found out she's the one who defeated Voldemort that night and we need her help in killing him? Or because you actually miss the daughter you threw away? Because you know Dumbledore isn't going to let it go."

"That's not fair, Sirius. It made sense at the time. Lily didn't want her growing up in Harry's shadow," James spat out, though his hazel eyes were filled with regret. Sirius merely sighed and left his side, going over to Marlene and leaving James to watch sadly as his daughter laughed with her friends by a tapestry. They really screwed up; the daughter he never knew was a gorgeous and vivacious girl, and he wasn't going to give up this time.

Through hell and high water, James Potter wasn't going to give up; he would do anything to earn his daughter's forgiveness and a spot in her life. It was obvious Ember Gilbert was loved by all in this town, and Sirius was right, Rose Dorea Potter died the day they decided to give her up.

* * *

Once Damon joined her, Elena and Stefan by the tapestry, Ember yanked Jeremy over to the dance floor. Damon really got her magic all jittery, and she was trying to avoid him at all cost. Her skills of avoidance were going swimmingly, that is, until James Potter came up to her and asked for a dance the instant Jeremy went to get her a refill.

"Yeah, no, thanks, but I'll pass," Ember rudely dismissed him. James Potter however, was a stubborn man and didn't budge, "Just one dance and I won't disturb you for the rest of the night."

Groaning loudly, Ember acquiesced; anything to get him off her back, "Fine. But the second my brother arrives with my drink, I'm gone." Her only response was a wide, winning smile and he took her hand gently in his, steering her onto the dance floor. There was no conversation between them, well – there wasn't – until James decided to say the first thing that came to mind, "Mayor Lockwood was correct, you do look beautiful."

"Thank you," she answered crisply, her eyes desperately searching for Jeremy and resolutely avoiding eye contact with her biological father.

James sighed sadly, "I _really_ _am_ sorry. They say you never know what you've missed out on until it's too late. I regret my actions sixteen years ago, Ember, truly I do." Ember detected the genuine honesty and regret in his tone, but it still didn't change anything.

"Look, I am not going to forgive you, or accept you into my life. So you may as well give up, although, I am thankful for your cruel actions that night. Because of you and Lily, I got to experience an amazing life with my parents and siblings," Ember informed him causally. James grimaced; her words were like a punch to the gut, "I am glad you experienced a great life, Ember. But," he shifted uncomfortably and timidly asked, "Do you think there could be a small place in your life for us?"

"Ember?" Jeremy called out, glaring daggers at James – and if looks could kill, he would be six feet under. Ember released herself from his hold, "Thank you for the dance. Goodbye." And without another word, Ember left a desolate James to watch after her as Jeremy twirled her into her arms and handed her a drink.

"Why were you dancing with him?"

"Ugh, he wouldn't take no for an answer," Ember pouted, sipping on her drink, wincing at the familiar burn, "Ooh, vodka." She gave her brother a sly glance, "And _how_ , pray tell, did you manage to get me an alcoholic beverage, oh dear brother of mine?"

"Trade secret," he winked.

"Cheeky, cheeky," Ember giggled. "Unfortunately, nature calls. Excuse moi." She smacked his cheeks with her lips and danced over to the powder room, only to gape in shock at the scene that met her eyes.

Elena was practically _stripping_ Caroline, her eyes narrowing in on a couple of bruises displayed vividly on her creamy back while Caroline desperately tried releasing herself from Elena's iron grip.

" _What_ is going on here?" Ember snapped loudly, pressurizing Elena and Caroline to gaze at her wide-eyed.

" _Nothing_! Elena doesn't know how to mind her own business," Caroline snarled harshly.

Elena grabbed her twin's hand and tugged her toward a seething Caroline, "Look Ember! Look at her back." Ember managed to catch a glimpse of the crude bite marks on her back before Caroline drew her shawl, shielding herself from the Gilbert twins' scrutinizing eyes and departing the premises.

" _Oh my_ _god_! Those are vampire bites Elena!" Ember breathed out, a look of shock and horror etched on her face. Elena nodded, "That's what I thought. Before I managed to get a good look and recognize the bite for what it was, I asked her if Damon did it, and she began fumbling around, crying that Damon would _kill her_ if she squealed."

"Damon's a vampire," Ember stated with a hiss, her eyes narrowing into slits. "But-but h-he doesn't fit the category –" Ember was unable to complete her sentence as an epiphany finally hit her like a freight train and the answer was glaringly clear; she never knew there were servants of nature kind of witches out there, was it so impossible that there was also a different species of vampires roaming around?

"Oh, _Isolt_! Laney, Damon is a vampire. He must be a different kind of species. The whole time, _all this time_ , we had the mysterious vampire right under our noses, we invited him into our home, and-and Caroline is dating him," Ember whispered, her voice shaking with anger and fear.

Elena swallowed audibly, "Does that mean Stefan is one too?"

Ember stared at her sister in shock and grabbed her hand, "Come on, we have a vampire to capture and interrogate. I don't think Care is safe with him anymore now that you uncovered the bite-marks." The Gilbert sisters ran out of the powder room, ignoring a worried Stefan who was calling after them as they began searching high and low for their bubbly blonde best friend.

They hit jackpot when they arrived at the Lockwood's vast lawn and gasped in sync; Damon was biting into a crying Caroline's neck. Thunder crackled around Ember as her magic began sizzling, protective over her loved ones.

"Damon! Let go of her, NOW!" Ember boomed loudly; she flicked her wrist, prompting her faithful wand to appear into her hand from its invisible wandholster; Ember was deft in nonverbal spells and wasted no time in casting a _Stupefy_ at Damon, the red beam smashing into Damon's figure, dropping Caroline onto the ground and throwing him a few feet away onto the ground with a loud thud.

Elena rushed over to lean by Caroline's side and check her wound while Ember angrily stalked over to Damon who was shockingly choking on the blood he had recently consumed, his already pale skin turning a sickly shade of bleach.

"What the hell?" Stefan whispered, frozen in shock as his eyes shifted from an apoplectic Ember, to the weird stick in her hand and lastly, onto his weakened brother. "What are you?"

"Quid pro quo, Mr. Vampire," Ember snapped back. "You have _a lot_ of explainin' to do, Stefan Salvatore!"

Stefan nodded half-heartedly and cautiously bypassed her to grab his fallen brother. "Just let me lock my brother up and I promise I'll explain everything. You don't have to be frightened of me," Stefan imploringly imparted the last part to Elena who was staring at him with her hands protectively around a blubbering Caroline.

"I'm not," Elena said determinedly, garnering a shockingly awed look from her vampire boyfriend.

"Okay, okay, you two. We have to cover this up. I'm going to go inside and get Jeremy from and Elena and I will drop them both to our place and tomorrow we'll be paying you a visit," Ember said, taking control of the situation. Stefan nodded eagerly, but just as he hauled Damon over his shoulder and got ready to depart, Ember called after him, "Stefan, not a word to anyone about what you just witnessed."

"I won't," Stefan promised candidly.

"Shit just got real," Ember muttered to Elena as they held on to a weeping Caroline and went to retrieve Jeremy.

"We seem to be having a streak; every party ends with a vampire attack," Elena scoffed, though her face shone with humor. Elena was used to the supernatural varieties in the world due to exposure of Ember's world and some of her half-breed friends.

"Our lives are definitely _not_ boring," Ember giggled.

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Tyler Lockwood – Michael Trevino**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Carol Lockwood – Susan Walters**_

 _ **Richard Lockwood – Robert Pralgo**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

 _ **Marlene McKinnon – Blake Lively**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Did you like the turn of events? Thinking about it; Ember would know how a vampire bite looks like and in turn, Elena would too. Adding one plus one together, Damon was easily the vampire … so Elena found out early on about Stefan … plus, since she already knew vampires existed she wouldn't be scared of Stefan especially with Ember by her side.**

 **The vote of Caroline finding out early or in season 2 is still on; let me know. AND; what did you think about James & Sirius? Ooh, and Richard Lockwood (I root for the Underdog)?**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **R &R.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 6:**

 _Dear Diary;_

 _Is it so hard to believe that this world could be bigger than imagined?_

 _ **No-Majs;**_ _they live in a world where it is believed vampires, werewolves, witches, wizards, dragons and a sundry of other mythical and magical creatures are merely mentioned in storybooks, or fiction movies meant to frighten the generations. They believe witches are evil hags with green skin, warts and all, who bewitches the minds and curses any innocent that cross their paths into a toad … or perhaps, like Hansel & Gretel, when the witch wanted to __**fatten them up and eat**_ _ **them**_ _._

 _ **Wizards & Witches;**_ _we believe we have seen it all; we believe we are the superiorities; the omniscient. Us magicals believe in the impossible and the unbelievable; we are a universal bunch of multiple communities that believe to have seen it all … harpies, hags, sirens, merpeople, centaurs, unicorns, fairies … and those are merely the common existences at the tip of the tongue._

 _We wand-wielders have been so complacent, so superior, so, so…_ _ **arrogant!**_ _to think that we knew everything; that we documented everything mystical that subsisted among us._

 _But really, we_ _ **haven't**_ _! This biosphere, ecosphere, all that God created really… we're not all-knowing. We aren't superior. Beings exist among us, that even we thought impossible… unbelievable._

 _Take me for example; I believed humans were the superior race that only existed and with every decade, century that passed, we discover and evolve. Creation of electricity, technology, medicine, vehicles … the freaking internet! Then my tenth birthday came along, and that perfect existence got ripped into shreds. Our perfect humanoid life; we had our eyes opened to the vast world we live in … there are mystical beings out there, so much more powerful and unimaginable. A huge contradiction._

 _And now?_ _ **Now**_ _my new belief-system was torn into a couple more shreds;_ _ **Servants of Nature?**_ _– we never learnt that in Ilvermorny. … There are different branches of witchcraft out there._

 _Sorry Dear Diary, Elena's getting impatient._

 _To be continued._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

"Seriously Laney, can you be _any more_ impatient," Ember grumbled as she tucked her diary into her pillowcase before running into the bathroom.

"Well _ex_ cuse me! Here I thought you would be jumping on the balls of your feet excited to learn what different kinds of vampires exist," an indignant Elena called after her twin, crossing her arms in a disgruntled fashion as she leaned backwards against the headboard of Ember's bed, wagging her feet impatiently.

Ember's head popped out from the adjoined bathroom, her toothbrush hanging limply in her mouth, eyebrows raised in skepticism, "Oh, phleathe. Altho, becauthe you wanna know iph your boyphrend ith a khiller."

Stifling her snickers, Elena mock-glared at the redhead, "Can you talk _without_ your mouth full? I can barely understand a word you just said." There was the distinct sound of Ember spitting into the sink, gurgling water and the toilet flushing before her twin exited in all her glory. No matter the time of the day, whether Ember had bedhead or bleary eyes and no makeup, she always looked gorgeous.

She took out her black jeggings and a red tube top and quickly got dressed, "Oh please. You heard me loud and clear. Don't act all innocent, lil' Miss Elena Gilbert. You're curious whether or not your sexy yet incredibly broody vampy B.F is a bloodsucking killing machine." Elena merely harrumphed and looked the other way, but her chocolate eyes were twinkling with mirth as Ember grabbed her red stilettos, matching purse and black leather jacket, "Alright, all done."

"Finally," Elena breathed out in faux annoyance. "It's still quite a shocker you haven't ditched the diary yet." That comment had the effect of sobering Ember up, "It's what mom always wanted. For me to document my thoughts and vent out my feelings onto piece of paper."

Elena's face morphed into genuine compassion; all acts of mockery dissipated and she hugged her twin, "And I'm sure mom's up there smiling down at you with pride."

"Probably thinking it took her dying to get me to listen," Ember snorted good-naturedly. Elena rolled her eyes; which turned into a glare when Ember smacked her butt playfully, "Let's go sunshine. We've a vampire to interrogate."

"Never thought I'd ever hear that sentence," Elena smirked as they clambered into her cherished Steel Blue Metallic Ford Escape, a present from her parents for her 16th birthday.

"Eh, living with me in my world, stranger things has happened," Ember shrugged nonchalantly. The Gilbert twins enjoyed the tranquility in the car, each lost in their own thoughts over what Stefan was about to reveal to them; in fact, they were so lost in thought, it came as a surprise to both of them when they found themselves parked in front of the Boarding House in record time.

"Laney, it was okay for _me_ to daydream. But _you_ are _driving!_ " Ember snapped in disbelief, slamming the car door shut. Elena grumbled as her twin joined her side, "Don't get your panties in a twist, Em."

"Ember, Elena," Sirius Black called out. The twins whipped around, gaping in shock at finding the entire Potter and Black clan sitting by the veranda, drinking tea. Ember shot him a deadpanned look while Elena offered an awkward wave before she grabbed the redhead by the arm and dragged her over to the Salvatore's front door; not even a second after Ember pressed the doorbell, the door opened wide, admitting them entry by an awkward Stefan Salvatore who didn't know how to act around his maybe-girlfriend.

"Oh God you two. Hug, hug. Kiss, kiss. Get the formalities over and done with already," Ember drawled, pushing past them and making herself comfortable on the futon. Elena good-naturedly stuck her tongue out at her twin and shot Stefan a quick smile before joining the redhead on the futon. Stefan chuckled as he scratched the nape of his neck, "Nice to see you too, Ember."

"Likewise, muchacho," Ember beamed; Stefan was flabbergasted as he sat opposite the Gilbert twins. Ember was so _relaxed_ , so _normal_ and _laidback_ , as though having coffee with a vampire was an everyday regular theme for her. … He didn't know just how true his peculiar thoughts were.

"So, uh, where do we start?" Stefan fumbled, grasping his mug to quell his nerves, trying to copy Ember's relaxed stance. Usually when humans found out about him, he compelled them… or unless he was in his ripper phase, killed them. This was completely new territory for him.

"You're a vampire," Elena stated before wincing; that came out wrong, but Ember was getting a kick out of it and couldn't help but snort into her mug, the scalding liquid threatening to leak out from her nostrils, "Way to state the obvious, Laney."

"It came out wrong, _okay_ ," she hissed back defensively, and Stefan couldn't help but smile fondly. The Gilbert twins really were a sight for sore eyes. They were immensely brave, gorgeous, and funny and it didn't take Einstein to figure out how close their bond was.

Ember patted Elena's thigh in fake pity, "Let me handle this before you put your entire foot in your mouth, _again_." Elena shrugged and busied herself with the coffee Stefan laid out for her, and Ember grinned at Stefan, throwing him a playful wink.

"So, um. How did you find out Damon and I were vampires? The Town Council were clueless," Stefan decided that was a good – and safe – place to start.

Ember rolled her eyes impishly, "Well, other than your big bro sucking the life out of our best friend and using her as an after-party _snack_ , which _by the way_ , that is totally _not_ okay and I am _so_ unhappy about, but we'll get to that later. We recognized the bites on her shoulder in the powder room during the party."

"Wait, what? What do you mean you _recognized_ a vampire bite? _How_?" Stefan blurted out, his face comically settled in shock. Elena shot Stefan a tiny smile, "Differentiating between an animal bite and a vampire bite isn't really that hard once you know what you're looking for. We've actually been on the lookout for the vampire ever since Vicki got attacked at the start of the school year party."

Poor Stefan, he was torn between incredulity, shock, disbelief and many other emotions, mostly confusion. One look at Elena and Ember knew that it was time to snap Stefan out of his misery.

"Okay, Stefano, let me make things clear. You remember that cool whammy thing I did to Damon at the party?" Ember asked causally. Stefan frowned, puzzled but nodded his head all the same; probably wondering how she did that, _oh well_. "I'm a witch. And no, not that Servant of Nature crap, follow the rules of the ancestors and balancing shit out; an actual witch, with a wand, broomstick, potions and all that jazz. The conical hat however is _strictly_ optional."

Stefan snorted quite rudely, "Yeah, right. _Very funny_ , Ember. You're hilarious."

Elena smirked; she was going to enjoy watching Ember prove him wrong and she quickly leaned forward to better observe his facial reaction. Ember had an identical smirk, and although they weren't technically twins by blood, Stefan was struck by their resemblance. Ember flicked her wrist, causing her wand to magically pop into her hand. She tapped her lip with the end of the wand, pondering over what spell she should cast before beaming.

Clearing her throat, Ember concentrated on the tissue box lying innocently on the coffee table before waving her wand with utmost ease; Ember preferred non-verbal spells and was a whiz at them; she loved the element of surprise.

Suddenly, Stefan jumped a few feet into the air, his eyes threatening to bulge out of their sockets as he stared at the golden retriever puppy that had _definitely_ been a tissue box a few second ago, with an open jaw. "What the, how, where, huh, what just happened?" he stuttered, shaking his head and pinching his thigh.

"Yeah, dude. Not a dream," Ember drawled, trying to make herself heard over Elena's raucous laughter. Ember bit her lip to suppress her laughter otherwise both Gilberts would be useless; although her magic was adamantly informing her that Stefan was trustworthy, Ember was paranoid and wholeheartedly believed in constant vigilance. She wasn't about to loosen up and take her eyes off Stefan until she trusted him 110%.

"So. Okay, so, you're a _witch_ ," Stefan said in a monotone, "I've been alive for 150 years, how have I not crossed paths with one of your kind before?"

Elena abruptly ceased her laughter, staring at Stefan with wide-eyes, "You're 150 years old?"

"Oh, shush Laney. You've always had a secret thing for older guys," Ember snapped, squashing down the hilarity of the situation. "And to answer your question, Stefan, we witches and wizards are more powerful with a wide repertoire of spells in our dictionary. We have many laws regarding exposure, one of which got repealed forty-five years ago; _however_ , there still is the 'International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.' Basically, it states that each individual is responsible for hiding the presence of the Magical Community. In 1750, there was a Clause 73; each wizarding governing body will be responsible for the concealment, care and control of all magical beasts, beings, and spirits dwelling within its territory borders. That's mainly the reason _why_ I have been searching for the vampire that had been threatening exposure. Your brother has been quite careless and reckless, but that was before I discovered you guys were a completely different kind of vampire… _What_?" Ember piped up innocently, noticing Stefan's eyes had entirely glazed over.

"Yeah, you'll get used to it. Em is prone to rambling a lot and is practically a whizz at History," Elena shrugged, waving her hand dismissively. Stefan absently nodded, "So, wizarding community…?"

Ember shrugged nonchalantly, "Basically whatever you guys have, we have too. Government, Ministry, laws, environment… every country has a plethora of hidden wizarding community, and its locations are deftly hidden by numerous wards, spells and charms. … But I've strayed too far from my point; if you ever discovered a witch or wizard, they probably obliviated you, which is a charm to make you forget what you have seen, messes with your memory."

Recognition overtook Stefan's features, "Like compelling."

"Compelling?" Elena frowned, her head cocked.

Stefan perked up in surprise. "Yeah, vampires can compel people to forget things, and do things. Kind of like hypnotizing, we mess with your head… How come you don't know about us then?" he inquired as an afterthought.

"That's the thing, Stefano. Vampires from my world are much, _much_ different. For the past few weeks I've been searching for a pale, gaunt vampire with fangs and black eyes, because that's the distinctive attributes of _my_ species of vampire. I just found out Servants of Nature exists. Even _I_ learn something new every day."

"Right, so, where do I begin?" Stefan asked.

"At the beginning," Ember and Elena spoke in sync, using their twin speech and nearly freaking Stefan out.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _So, yesterday was intense at the Boarding House; Elena is in her room mulling over our recent discovery and probably jotting everything down in her Diary, like moi._

 _And I gotta say, these vampires are incredible, like completely marvelous and sort of mind-boggling._

 _Stefan, bless the vamp, was exceedingly patient with us and spent an hour explaining_ _ **everything**_ _down to the very last, miniscule detail;_

 _ **Recap**_ _; their species of vampires_ _ **cannot**_ _walk under the sun; they sizzle and char and basically become barbecue before combusting into ashes. However, if they have contact with any Servant of Natures, they can get themselves a ring, or any sort of jewelry really, spelled to allow them to walk under the sun._

 _According to Stefano, those rings are really hard to obtain because Servants of Natures are of the judgy sort, most of whom despises vampires and call them abominations, which is kinda harsh and I did not like hearing about that_ _ **at all**_ _. But I'll create a debate for that later. So yeah, according to Stefan, either a vampire is good friends with a servant of Nature, or like Emily Bennett (Bonnie's ancestor back in 1864) swore allegiance to a vampire because of a life debt._ _ **Or**_ _, a vampire threatened a Servant of Nature; those are the multitude of reasons for procuring a daylight amulet._

 _Katherine Pierce; she is the manipulative, twisted, bitch of a vampire that turned Damon and Stefan into vampires and played them like a fiddle. Contrary to what Damon had Caroline impart us with, Stefan didn't recently date Katherine, more like_ _ **145 years ago**_ _! She died when the Council discovered there were vampires polluting Mystic Falls back in 1864, and Damon never got over it. Again, according to Stefan, she compelled_ _ **both**_ _of them to date her at the_ _ **same time**_ _, keep her vampire status a secret, and essentially messed with their heads, ruining their bond as brothers as they used to be so close. I cannot even imagine_ _ **ever**_ _letting a guy come between Laney and me, and we were both horrified, pitying Stefan when he mentioned that part to us._

 _Anyways, total rambling right now. Where was I? Oh yeah._

 _Mirrors, coffins, holy water and crucifix –_ _ **myth**_ _… well, at least to their species of vampire._

 _Garlic? Stefan had a real laugh about that. Stefan quipped that he found garlic to be really edible, unfortunately, the only inconvenience to him is suffering from bad breath. He was quite stunned when I informed him, quite seriously really, that magical vampires recoil from them with a high aversion._

 _That was when Stefan mentioned vervain. Apparently, vervain to him is like garlic to them._

 _Vervain is a potent herb and a vampire's most well-known weakness. If a vampire (I'm gonna call them_ _ **No-Maj vampire**_ _for now) has any physical contact with the toxic herb in any form, it will burn them – almost like the sun, except they don't turn to ash. Therefore, humans must always lace their drinks with vervain and have an herb in a piece of jewelry, or simply on their person, so that they could be protected from greedy No-Maj-vamps._

 _The necklace Stefan gave Elena is laced with vervain, and I am extremely grateful for that. But in all honesty, I do not trust vervain for protection. It kind of seems like a hassle; always making sure to remember lacing your drink with vervain, and trying not to lose a vervained trinket from your possession. Let me tell you, I'm gonna try and discover an easier way to protect my family's mind._

 _Starting tomorrow … my mind is fried with all this information overload._

 _Another thing;_ _ **compulsion.**_ _Kind of, no actually,_ _ **very**_ _disturbing. Elena and I nearly threw a colossal fit when Stefan explained their form of hypnosis to us. It might be convenient to them, especially since it helps hide their existence and prevent a different form of the Salem Witch Trials from occurring, but vampires abuse their power of compulsion. They could create multiple human minions to obey their every command – like Damon did with Caroline, and become a blood bag –_ _ **again**_ _, like what Damon did with Caroline. Na-uh, me no likey, whatsoever._

 _Compulsion could be familiarized with memory charms; but also, compulsion scarily reminded me of the Imperius Curse._

 _What else? Increased speed, abnormal strength, impeccable senses._

 _How to kill: Wooden stake to the heart. Decapitation and heart extraction works too._

 _No-Maj vampires need to be invited in otherwise they cannot enter a threshold. Elena facepalmed at that little tidbit, recalling how Stefan vehemently persuaded Elena to_ _ **not**_ _allow Damon admittance into our home, and she completely disregarded him. Another thing I'm gonna have to look up; a way to uninvite invited vampires that we didn't know were vampires in the first place. That can't be too hard … can it?_

 _Hmmm, what else? Oh yeah, vampire blood. I found that to be the coolest thing_ _ **ever**_ _and I already asked Stefan to donate some vampire blood to a charitable cause;_ _ **moi**_ _. Apparently, No-Maj vampire blood can_ _ **heal**_ **.** _If you are at the brink of death, or really harmed, then a few drops of vamp blood concoction and you're as good as new. The only problemo, is that one must exercise caution for 24 hours until the blood is expelled from your system, 'cause if you die with blood in your system, then you get turned into a vampire; and that is_ _ **so NOT**_ _an option._

 _Everything good has its downsides I guess; a lesson learnt early on in life._

 _Dying with vampire blood in your system: one must feed human blood in the next 24 hours to complete the transition otherwise you die. And that sucks, but if you were ever compelled, then when you are in transition, then you would totally recall everything you were meant to forget._

 _I am gonna try and create a few potions with vampire blood, I mean, I could end up creating something totally awesome. So I am excited about the challenge._

 _In turn, I explained everything to Stefan about the magical world and he promised never to breathe a word to anyone. So we're cool – we both shared secrets and trust each other completely. Although I haven't told him about the whole Voldemort, Boy-Who-Lived thing yet, 'cause I'm not ready to get into that; it's still a sore subject to me._

 _We asked Stefan if we could illuminate Jenna and Jeremy, and since they already knew of magic and all that jazz, he agreed as long as they keep the secret, because,_ _ **get this**_ _; the Town Council isn't really about planning events and parties and forming a close-knit community;_ _ **noooo**_ _, they were created to protect the town against vampires. That was a huge shocker if you catch my drift._

 _Anyhoo, I am all talked out._

 _Peace out, Dear Diary._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

"Woah, Laney? What is it?" Ember frowned, noticing her twin was distressed as she barged into her room.

Elena jumped beside her and groaned, "Vicki Donovan slept over, if you know what I mean." Ember's eyebrows rose, "Way to go Jer-Bear. As long as she's not playing him, then I'm cool with them banging each other."

" _Banging each other_ ," Elena gaped in disbelief. "Oh my God, your language can be so crude at times, Em."

Ember smirked, "And you love me for it. Anyhhuuu. I was thinking we inform Jer and Jenna tomorrow, 'cause my mind is fried, going at overtime at the mo. Kay with you?"

Elena nodded, her features morphing into relief, "Thank god, you said that, because I am not in the mood to recap everything. Let's wait a couple of days and tell them everything."

"Deal!"

* * *

"So, what's up amigos?" Ember crowed joining Stefan and Elena wash their assigned car.

They were currently at the Sexy Suds Car Wash, and the only problem encountered ever since spreading the truth on the table, was Caroline's odd behavior. She wasn't acting like a teenager bit by a maniac vampire, or the ex of a guy that used her as his personal blood bag. No, Caroline Forbes was back to her perky self with a few relapses when she continuously asked Stefan about Damon's whereabouts yesterday at school.

Ember silently promised herself, and warned Stefan, that if Caroline got involved with Damon _one more time_ then she was going to spill the secret and swear her to secrecy. The only thing more important to Ember Gilbert, other than keeping the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, was protecting her family and loved ones from all things mythical – secret be damned.

Stefan however had adamantly informed the Gilbert twins that Damon wouldn't be a problem since he was at the moment locked up in the dungeon being force-fed daily doses of vervain and zero amount of blood. Therefore, he was weak and trapped behind bars; kinda kinky if you ask her.

"Oh nothing much, we had lunch the other day and Tiki's grandfather recognized Stefan from 1953. Other than that, everything went _swimmingly_ ," Elena quipped sarcastically. Stefan held his amusement back as he observed the Gilbert twins in their element.

Ember's jaw dropped at the news her sister so carelessly threw out there and checked her surroundings for any curious ears; seeing the Brits were far, far away, she nodded in relief and whirled around to face her sister, a knowing quality in her tone, "You want me to obliviate him?"

"He poses a threat to Stefan, Em," Elena pleaded with her eyes, and Stefan couldn't help but feel his love for Elena surge at that moment; he wasn't used to a mortal _wanting_ to protect him and his secret, but he knew, from the very moment he laid eyes on Ember and Elena Gilbert, that they fought viciously to protect their loved ones, even before he discovered Ember was a witch.

Ember shook her head in negative, but before Elena or Stefan could argue, Ember quickly confided in them, "Tiki's grandpa has Alzheimer's Laney, he isn't a threat. His mind is already messed up as it. No one would take him seriously, and I doubt he'll remember this before he croaks – and I mean that with _complete_ sensitivity."

Elena and Stefan simultaneously sighed in relief.

"How the hell did you know that?" Elena asked curiously; Ember had been away for six years at Ilvermorny only returning during the weekends and summer holidays; it was hard to believe her twin lived in two different worlds when she knew _everything_ there was to know about _everybody_.

"Oh, please," Ember scoffed in pride, grabbing a shimmy as she started cleaning the car, "I _am_ Captain of the cheerleading squad. These girls have no mouth filter, they blab about every single topic debatable in the world. There isn't anything about Mystic and its residents that I don't know about."

"Except me and Damon being vampires," Stefan whispered in amusement, his forest green eyes shining with mirth, and Elena couldn't help but let out a loud unladylike snort. Ember pierced him with a deadpanned look and haughtily sniffed, "That doesn't count and you know it, Mr. I-Am-162-Years-Old-And-I-Never-Ran-Into-Wizards-And-Witches."

"Touché," Stefan smirked.

Halfway into the event, Caroline manhandled the twins into minding the money, and they found themselves cashing in a lot of mulla while Stefan aided Bonnie and Matt in washing cars. Just as Ember predicted, Tiki's grandfather didn't even recall running into Elena and Stefan the other day at the Grill when he ambled by to pay for his car. Ember totally enjoyed shooting Elena her famous 'I told you so' look that Elena despised.

"Ember, you look fabulous," Marlene McKinnon-Black smiled gently down at her as she handed over the money with Hermione, Violet and Cassiopeia by her side.

"Uh, thanks," Ember drawled, turning to face an awkward yet enraged Elena, "Laney, we need change for a hundred." While they waited for Elena to rummage through the till, Marlene kept trying to establish eye contact with her, hoping for a small conversation.

"Is that a navel piercing?" Violet gushed out. "I've _always_ wanted one, but I'm not allowed," she pouted.

"Um, tough luck kid," Ember shrugged, glaring at Elena to hurry the fuck up. What was she supposed to tell the girl who was practically her biological sister? She wanted nothing to do with them and unfortunately, they couldn't swallow the harsh reality.

"Vi, bimbos and slags pierce their navels. You don't want that," Hermione snapped quite rudely, "I'm shocked Ember here doesn't have a tramp stamp either."

" _Hermione_!" Marlene scolded her, outraged; she then stared imploringly at the Gilbert twins, especially Elena who looked like she was about to rip Hermione a new one. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive Hermione; she's not dealing well with the change in environment."

"Make sure she keeps her fat mouth shut next time, because I promise, there won't be a second pass," Elena snarled, shoving her change into her palm. "Thank you for doing business with us. Ba-Bye," she snapped dryly. An abashed Marlene yanked Hermione away by the arm, and they could hear her yelling at the bushy-haired bitch the whole way to the car while Violet and Cassiopeia obediently trailed behind.

Once they were out of earshot, Elena whirled to face her twin who looked to be deep in a trance, "What the hell, Em? It's not like you to keep your mouth shut. Are you okay?"

"Better than okay, Laney. That bitch gave me an epiphany," Ember had an expression of smug glee on her face, but instead of sharing with the class, she yelled out for Tiki to man the till before proceeding to yank Elena away from the mass.

* * *

"Where is Jeremy?" Ember growled after texting their missing brother for the hundredth time.

Jenna had had enough with the secrecy. "Can anyone _please_ clue me in on what's going on? The suspense is killing me here," she moaned.

"We don't want to repeat ourselves," Elena told her apologetically.

An hour later, the door slammed shut and an angry Jeremy appeared in their midst, his expression thunderous. He barely spared the three women a fraction of a glance, his eyes angrily focused on the stairs wanting nothing more than to drown his sorrows in the privacy of his room.

"Yo! Jer-Bear, we need to talk. Why haven't you been answering your phone?" Ember demanded while Jenna and Elena traded bewildered looks from behind.

Jeremy growled and rudely bypassed her, "Look Ember, I'm not in the mood. If you can't tell, I've had a crappy night."

"Fine," Ember snapped, turning her back on him, "I guess you're not curious to know who the evasive vampire ended up to be." Ember couldn't hold back the smirk that threatened to split her face in half as Jeremy's loud footsteps paused. Not even five seconds later, Jeremy joined Jenna by the island, both their faces shining with curiosity and interest.

"I really hate you, Em," Jeremy huffed, but it lacked any heat; Ember always had a knack for changing his mood drastically. He was pissed off that Vicki stole Elena's prescription pills from the accident and apparently, she only hung out with him to get high.

"Well? What are you two waiting for? _Tell us_ ," Jenna practically demanded.

Ember and Elena took it in turn explaining about the totally different species of vampires they just discovered; their strengths and weaknesses; how they are more volatile than magical vampires and much more powerful with frankly, awesome abilities and advantages; Damon and Stefan being vampires, but that Stefan only drank animal blood, and lastly, how Damon was currently locked in the dungeon by Stefan since he was endangering the town.

Jenna and Jeremy, like Ember, learned throughout the years NOT to be prejudiced, and so, they didn't immediately demand the Salvatores to be executed and scream 'OFF WITH HIS HEAD', to quote the Queen of Hearts' catchphrase. Instead, they pondered the new existing species of vampires and began discussing methods of protection from Damon.

"I've been thinking … that bushy-haired bitch –"

" _Language_ , Ember!" Jenna snapped, though the corner of her lips twitched slightly.

"Fine, _Granger_ inadvertently gave me an idea," Ember gushed out in excitement. Elena, Jenna and Jeremy glared at her to get on with it. "Okay so, Stefan gave Elena a necklace laced with vervain, right? But who's to say that some vampire won't quickly snatch it from her neck and compel her, or that she wouldn't lose it by mistake?"

"So we plant vervain on our person. Our pockets maybe…" Jeremy shrugged.

"Or we lace our drinks every morning," Jenna added.

"We could lace our shampoo and shower gel with vervain. That way we would be doused completely in it," Elena crowed, her eyes widening with the excitement of her idea.

Ember shook her head gravely, "We didn't know Stefan and Damon were vampires. Unlike the magical ones, they look so humanoid; we wouldn't be able to tell them apart until it's too late. What's to say some vampire isn't stalking us and gets invited, switching out our miscellaneous items laced with vervain? It may seem highly improbable and maybe I'm being a teensy bit paranoid, but it's better to be prepared."

"So what's your idea then?" Jenna inquired curiously.

"We get tattoos! But of our own concoction," Ember squealed, ignoring the incredulous and distasteful stares she was on the receiving end of. " _It's perfect_. My friend opened up a tattoo parlor in Liberty Lane. I could ask him to mix the ink with a high dose of vervain. It doesn't have to be an extravagant design, merely something subtle. Wherever we go, we'd be protected from mind control."

"Your idea does have merit," Jenna slowly announced.

"I'm in," Jeremy rushed out, a smile vivid on his face.

"Your parents are probably rolling in their graves just because I am entertaining your ludicrous idea of getting a tattoo," Jenna whined into her palms. Elena smirked and innocently pointed out, "Yeah, but Dad was a part of the secret council; I bet he'd be proud of our ingenious technique in protecting ourselves."

" _Fine_! Tomorrow we'll all go out and get _tattoos_. Like a family bonding experience," she sarcastically concluded; the three Gilbert teens couldn't help but snicker when Jenna said the word 'tattoo' with utmost distaste.

"You'll thank me in the end when some vampire tries hypnotizing you into being their freaky slave minion or personal blood bag, Aunt Jenna," Ember matter-of-factly pointed out, sticking her entire tongue out, but before Jenna could offer a witty rebuttal, the doorbell rang, and they all traded bewildered looks.

Who would be visiting at this godly hour?

The answer was revealed; a distressed broody vampire in the form of Stefan Salvatore stood on the other side.

"Damon escaped."

 _How the hell did that happen?!_

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Marlene Black – Blake Lively**_

 _ **Cassiopeia Black – Ashley Benson**_

 _ **Hermione Granger – Emma Watson**_

 _ **Violet Potter – Maia Mitchell**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER?!**

 **I am so excited, honestly! I enjoyed writing this chapter. In my head; I enjoyed incorporating how the Gilbert family acted around each other …. It may seem very OC, but think about it: Ember changed the Gilbert's a complete 360. With her and the discovery of all mythical beings and creatures, they have a more open mind and don't entertain prejudices.**

 **Elena is more laidback, stronger and passionate. She isn't this doe-eyed goody, goody whose mere existence risks people's lives. Nothing is black and white. Ember and Elena has a tight-knit bond changing Elena for the better.**

 **Jeremy wouldn't be so depressed, butting heads with Elena, because Ember is the middle child, the mediator and she brings them closer. Jeremy wouldn't be exempted and left out with all the vampire crap. Same goes for Jenna.**

 **Therefore, Ember, Elena, Jeremy and Jenna are extremely close. And very comedic; I don't know if you noticed the funny stuff I included whenever I write about them. Elena wouldn't be so 'oh my god, you're a murderer, etcetera, good vs bad crap' she'd be more understanding.**

 **A little spoiler; although Ember and Elena are best friends with Bonnie … they will butt heads a lot because: even though I totally ADORE Bonnie Bennett, she is very judgmental (hence Damon's nickname for her: Judgy.) The Gilberts, ESPECIALLY Ember, hates prejudiced people, and so, there will be many arguments with Mystic Falls Resident Witch.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter; P.S. Sorry for my rambling *innocent face***

 **R &R.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 7:**

"I _cannot_ believe I agreed to this… I _cannot_ believe it. No I _cannot_ ," Jenna began mumbling to herself, her eyes flickering over every inch of their surroundings with wide, incredulous eyes.

"Ah, come on Jensters, don't be a major buzzkill," Alan smirked in his usual self-righteousness manner; Ember was sorely tempted to smack him.

Alan Hayes was three years Ember's senior. They both attended Ilvermorny and despite the age difference, the two of them got along splendidly as they were _both_ the free-spirited sort… while Alan was sorted into Thunderbird, his younger sister Aliyah, happened to be one of Ember's best friends, both of them the same age and shared the same dormitory at Wampus. Once Alan graduated, he opened a tattoo parlor in Liberty Lane and kept harping on Ember to get a tattoo with the promise of giving her a special friend discount.

Jenna mock-glared at him, "How many times must I tell you to _stop_ calling me that?" Yeah, Alan met the whole Gilbert/Sommers clan, and enjoyed testing poor Jenna's temper; at the current moment, she was alternating between wincing while she observed Alan work on Ember's tattoo, and grimacing at the parlor.

"Ems how on earth did you convince the whole clan to get tattoos?" Alan smirked as he added on the finishing touches to her tattoo on her inner right wrist.

"Believe me, not without difficulties," Elena snorted from Ember's side.

"It's not funny! Your parents are probably rolling in their graves at the moment, staring down at me in disappointment. _I'm a failure_. The worse guardian ever," Jenna whined, once again retracing her previous pacing much to the other four's hilarity.

Jeremy clenched his jaw, desperately trying not to erupt into laughter, "We're back to that again, Jenna."

"Yeah, it seriously lost its appeal after you repeated it for the forty-second time," Ember bobbed her head in agreement, just as Alan playfully smacked her off the bed; "You're done pumpkin. _Jensters_ , you're next," Alan grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Jenna ambled cautiously toward the bed and muttered again, "Worst guardian ever."

Ember admired her tattoo with a smile, she had decided on a dream-catcher that took up half her right arm from the inner wrist until below the elbow. Elena forwent a big flashy tattoo, and decided on a simple, mediocre-sized raven (her favorite bird) on the back of her neck. Jeremy on the other hand, wanted to be all macho and had a tribal lion design on his left pectoral.

Jenna however, decided on an inconspicuous tattoo, choosing an ankle bracelet design of ivies and twine. Currently, the three Gilbert siblings were enjoying Jenna's rigid posture as she peeked over to observe Alan's work before quickly snapping her eyes shut again, continuously murmuring to herself on repeat about how she was a _horrible guardian_.

"Done," Alan boomed half an hour later, an impish grin on his face as he darted over to Ember's side and snaked an arm around her waist, "I'm not going to ask about the vervain mixture, I've gotten many weird suggestions in my line of work. No-Asking Policy has its perks for a blooming business."

Ember nodded gratefully.

"I don't get it. Tattoos are supposed to hurt, why didn't I feel the excruciating pain? It was merely a tickle," Jenna was utterly bewildered, a frown knitting in annoyance when both Ember and Alan chanted in a singsong voice, " _Magic_."

After they paid Alan, and Ember made future plans to meet up with him and Aliyah, they chose to have lunch at Cassie's Cauldron, hoping to avoid the supernatural drama currently happening in Mystic Falls for a while longer; the four of them had yet to discuss Stefan's visit last night, and now that they protected their minds from vampire influences, they mutually decided it was about time.

"I cannot believe Zachary is dead," Jenna muttered solemnly, her chin lying on her right hand for support as she absently swirled her berry juice with her left.

Jeremy scoffed, though he too was disturbed, "Forget that. I can't believe Damon killed his last remaining relative. Vampire or not, you don't kill family."

"He was desperate to escape," Elena shrugged grumpily, "He didn't care who got in his way."

"I knew I should've informed Caroline about all this from before. Even _with_ vervain in her system, she was _still_ unprotected from Damon's lingering mind-control. We underestimated his strength," Ember grumbled. "Never underestimate thy enemy."

"Although I still believe I'm the worst guardian ever-" the siblings rolled their eyes, causing Jenna to shoot them all a glare, "-Vervain tattooed permanently onto our skin was ingenious."

"Does that mean you're going to give up on the 'worst guardian ever' muttering?" Elena teased, her brown eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Nooo," Jenna drawled seriously, though her lips twitched slightly.

"Ugh, Aunt Jenna, you are a riot," Ember snickered. Shaking her head, she resumed seriousness once again, "Now that you all have those protection bracelets I made you _and_ vervain on us 24/7, I can rest in peace."

"I think we're the most protected inhabitants of Mystic Falls at the moment," Jeremy smiled.

Ember nodded; she traded a meaningful glance with Elena and her eyes flashed with comprehension over what their next course of action should be.

* * *

 _Dear Diary;_

 _The Gilbert Clan is locked and loaded with numerous protection charms._

 _Since the magical community knew nothing about traditional vampires, I found zero spells on how to_ _ **univite a vampire**_ **.**

 _Before we left to Liberty Lane by means of a Portkey – which was received unenthusiastically with unified annoyed grumbles from Elena, Jeremy and Jenna, who hates wizarding travel due to its unpleasantness and vertigo feeling as an aftereffect - I cast a minor protection charm around the house._

 _Once we returned however, I began working on warding the house (Thank Isolt Ilvermorny offered Seniors a Warding class unlike Hogwarts from what I have read – in Hogwarts, most magical studies are self-taught, especially after NEWTs)._

 _I cast an Intruder Charm, tied to my magic, which would let me know whenever someone unfriendly who means the family harm was walking up the doorstep, allowing me to Apparate directly into the house and chase them away._ _ **Also**_ _, I cast the Repello Inimicum Charm precisely against Damon Salvatore – that was very complex, but my magic recognized his signature since I was in contact with him before – therefore, whenever the volatile vampire came to strut inside the house, he would be blocked by an invisible barrier._

 _My next project will be studying my numerous Ancient Runes textbook for something simpler with the hopes of drawing runes around the door, or the borders of the house, to protect the inhabitants from anyone that meant harm from entering, even_ _ **with**_ _an invite. When I informed the fam about it, Jeremy couldn't help but utter about how cool magic was._

 _It pays to have a witch in the family, don't ya think?_

 _Unfortunately, Jenna, Jeremy, Elena and I are the only ones profoundly protected … I don't trust Damon roaming around in the same town as my loved ones. Bonnie has her witchy juju and her Grams, so for now, she's safe. Caroline – even though her mother is the Sheriff and a trained vampire hunter – my blonde bestie is completely unprotected from the dangers outside her house._

 _For crying out loud, Care-Bear was_ _ **dating**_ _an impulsive and unstable_ _ **murderous**_ _vampire who has no appreciation for human life. Damon_ _ **fed**_ _on her,_ _ **compelled**_ _her and_ _ **hurt**_ _her. He easily got invited into her house, and Caroline, bless her, thought nothing was amiss, blinded by a pretty face in a hot bod._

 _I promised myself after the Founder's Party, that if Caroline was placed in danger yet again because of Damon, then she'd be included into the fold, knowing the truth of all things Supernatural and what goes bump in the night. Stefan was confident that his brother wouldn't get freed with no means of escape in his weakened state locked in the dungeons – well, that was a bust seeing as Zach ended up with his neck snapped and Caroline obliviously gave him the key to his freedom like a mindless drone._

 _I'll say it again,_ _ **never underestimate thy enemy.**_

 _Last night after Stefan relayed to us the bad news, I immediately called Care … she was perfectly normal if a bit shaken. Apparently, she doesn't remember leaving the Sexy Suds Wash – her memory is completely blank from when she went to school to stock up on those shimmy things, before finding herself trembling in her room under the covers._

 _The protection of my family and loved ones are of more importance than keeping my secret. However, I have no doubt that Care would guard my secret and carry it with her to the grave – she's the most loyal friend I have (other than Bonnie and a few from Ilvermorny) and I'd trust her with my life._

 _For now, we are anxiously awaiting Damon to appear from regaining his energy – I fear for the poor innocent bystanders that were unfortunate enough to be standing in his path last night after he escaped the Boarding House. Since the sun is still up, we know he's hibernating in the Salvatore Boarding House since Stefan has possession of his daylight ring, but the moment the sun goes down … all bets are off. While we were at Liberty Lane, Elena received a harried text from Stefan: Damon is threatening to go on a killing spree if his ring isn't retuned to him by nightfall._

 _Therefore, my first stop after I finish updating my journal is Caroline's place. It is no longer safe for her to be kept in the dark._

 _Wish me luck._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

"You ready?"

Ember looked up to see her twin with a strained smile upon her face. Nodding, she packed her diary, hiding it deftly and grabbed Elena's hand, "Let's go do this. We have a blonde to protect and join forces with."

Elena laughed, shaking her head in fond amusement. It was a commonly known fact to all those close to Ember Gilbert, that she joked a lot, converting everything into comedy when she was nervous. Both twins were anxious after all, they were about to place a huge amount of trust on Caroline Forbes, and they hoped that a time wouldn't approach where they would come to regret their decision.

* * *

"Okay, you two are seriously getting me all hyped up here. I'm worried. Caroline Forbes is officially worried. Tell me what's wrong," Caroline sat cross-legged on her bed in a jittered state, alternating her blue orbs from one anxious twin to the other, both of whom were staring at her cautiously as though she were a previously caged lion about to pounce.

Ember sighed loudly and grabbed Caroline's hand in hers, "Caroline, what is your opinion about the Supernatural?" Caroline's jaw dropped and her eyes bugged out – she did not expect this question out of all things to be asked and a giggle escaped her throat.

"You're kidding right?" she whirled her head to face Elena, "Tell me she's kidding."

"No, no Care, she's not, and neither am I. We're serious," Elena spoke softly.

"Well…" Caroline trailed off, pondering how best to answer the oddity while simultaneously attempting to take her best friends serious, "I think Supernatural stuff is really selling. Love the TV series; Jensen Ackles is _hands down_ _THE_ hottest man on this planet! Good movies, good books, hot vampires sparkling in the sun… uh. Um, and…"

"No Care-Bear, I mean, what do you think about Supernatural myths being _real_ ," Ember stressed.

Caroline scoffed derogatorily, "Okay, now I know you're pulling one over me. What like ghosts and all that _wooo-hooo_ business? I don't believe in all those ghost stories, they are only meant to frighten children and sell merchandise."

"You better start believing in ghost stories Miss Forbes, you're in one," Ember suddenly stated in an ominous voice sounding all creepily sinister, garnering two agape stares from her sister and best friend.

"Really, Em?" Elena finally snorted, her chest bubbling with laughter she wasn't able to suppress.

Caroline began giggling incessantly, "Did you just-, you just … _seriously_? Did you _seriously_ just quote Barbossa from Pirates of the Caribbean?"

Ember shrugged, a smirk pulling on her lips, emerald eyes widening in innocence, "What? Come on, it was too good an opportunity to waste you guys! I _had_ to say it." The three teenagers collapsed in guffaws of laughter, each of them holding a stich on the side of their stomach due to their relentless fits of laughter. Finally, Ember straightened up and squared her shoulders, "Okay. Joke time is over. In all seriousness, Care, you remember how I used to attend this super-secret Boarding School, only returning on the weekends? Well, it was a school of magic. I'm a witch… an honest to god witch with wands and broomsticks and cauldrons and the sort," she bluntly revealed.

An uncomfortable silence engulfed Caroline's bedroom; the blonde stared gapingly at the Gilberts unable to comprehend the sudden declaration. Being best friends with Ember and Elena since diapers, Caroline became adroit in reading their facial expressions, and presently, two completely solemn faces were staring back at her, unblinking and unwavering.

"You-You're, you're totally serious. You two are being genuinely honest, you-you're a-a-a witch?" Caroline stammered, a hand covering her mouth in shock. Grimly, Ember whipped out her wand and turned Elena's hair a bubblegum pink color, garnering a "HEY!" from said-victim.

" _Oh_. _My_. _God_!" Caroline didn't know if she should laugh at how utterly absurd Elena looked with _bright_ pink hair, or scream for the hills about her best friend being a witch. After a few seconds of watching Elena give Ember the stink-eye, she went for the first option and burst out, yet again, into a large fit of laughter until Ember cheekily reversed the spell. "So, okay. Witch. You're a … witch… I assume there's a reason you're confiding your deep, dark secret that nobody was supposed to discover?"

Let it be known that Caroline Forbes – blonde, bubbly, hyperactive with dumb shallow moments; the girl was pretty shrewd, hiding her smarts behind the popular cheerleading stereotype mask.

"So, you, you're not gonna tattle and hand Ember over to the witch-hunters?" Elena asked earnestly.

Caroline's face morphed into horror and she grabbed a hand of each Gilbert girl, "Hell no! Witch or not, Em is my best friend, you _both_ are. I refuse to believe Ember is evil. You're just, special, with a cool kick," she winked.

For the next hour, Ember explained everything there was to know about the magical communities and the Statute of Secrecy with Elena's aid as she added a few quips and inputs along the way. Suffice to say, Caroline was in complete awe and practically manhandled Ember into promising to take her to Liberty Lane later on. Caroline Forbes took this whole new world like a duck to water.

Unfortunately, the hard part had yet to come and both Gilberts shot the blonde unsure glances, completely clueless on how to inform the bubbly girl that her mind had been messed with by her ex-boyfriend who in all actuality was a mass-murdering vampire.

"Spit it out," Caroline grumbled in annoyance.

"The wizarding community may seem sagacious in all things supernatural, but a few weeks ago, Laney and I discovered that there are all sorts of things out there that even me as a witch, am _completely_ oblivious to," Ember cautiously spoke, measuring each word carefully before uttering it out.

Elena explained about Bonnie being a Servant of Nature, and her disbelief toward her magic; Caroline took it well, thinking that after Ember's secret nothing could shock her anymore. She was wrong. When they began divulging the tale of the Salvatore brothers and the new species of vampires known as 'Traditional Vampires' who are wholly opposites from 'Magical Vampires', the blonde burst out into tears, violent sobs wracking her body.

Once Caroline calmed down enough to form a coherent sentence, she weakly summarized. "So, Damon is a vampire who compelled me into keep his secrets, like some freaky hypnosis spell. He used me as a walking blood-bag, a mindless minion, _and_ I helped dungeon boy escape last night from where Stefan was keeping him locked up from terrorizing the citizens of Mystic Falls. My mom is a member of the Founder's Council and she knows about vampires and the only reason they're all clueless toward the Salvatore brothers is because they have these magical rings that allow them to walk around during daylight made by Bonnie's ancestor Emily who was slave-bound to Katherine, their sire and a manipulative evil bitch. Did I miss something out?"

"Nope, no, you're good. Great Cliff-notes," Ember nodded in approval.

"You, uh, you got it all down to a T," Elena continued with a soft smile.

" _God_! This is _so_ messed _up_. Next time I wish and whine for an exciting life, beat me over the head with a stick, will ya," Caroline groaned, burying her face into both hands. Ember took out a medium box and passed it over to Caroline, "This box is full of vervain. Make sure you add a few drops every two, three days. That along with your vervained necklace AND not oblivious anymore, and you're perfectly safe."

"Unless you want to get a vervained tattoo like we did this morning," Elena beamed, turning around and pulling her hair up to proudly show off her tattoo.

A giggle managed to escape the blonde, "I'd love to, but my mom would _seriously_ slaughter me. Maybe once I graduate high school."

"Oooh, another thing." Ember dug her hand into her purse, taking great amusement when Caroline's eyes threatened to pop as she watched her hand practically disappear into the bag up to her arm. She handed over a baby-blue handmade bracelet with a shrunken dragot stitched into the middle and explained its usage.

Caroline threw her arms around the twins, promising to take their secret to the grave, especially from her mom who would shoot first and ask questions later.

* * *

Elena made plans to meet up with Stefan after they were done with The-Caroline-Explanation, however, just as Ember had been about to drop her off at the Grill, they received a frantic text from Jeremy about Vicki acting odd … _supernaturally_ odd.

Railroading poor and utterly clueless Stefan into the car, Ember sped way over the speed-limit, unable to calm down until she was by her brother's side.

"Damon must have gotten to her," Stefan grimaced; his comment only succeeding in causing Elena to blanch, face turning ashen, and for Ember to hit the gas harder than before, slamming the breaks hard and nearly bashing their skulls when she parked in the garage.

The twins and the vegetarian vampire wasted no time in darting inside the house where they were met with a frazzled Vicki pushing Jeremy hard enough to have him tumble down onto the ground, and Matt to gape at her in bewilderment, " _Damn, Vick_!"

"What's going on?" Elena shouted all of a sudden, causing all eyes to divert to the three newcomers; both Elena and Ember rushed over to Jeremy's side and hauled him onto his feet, glaring at Vicki for an explanation.

Matt's brows knitted together in concern, "She's really messed up."

The three Gilbert siblings observed as the penny dropped as Stefan's eyes flashed in comprehension and he ambled over to a distressed Vicki's side. Matt looked like he was about to argue if it weren't for Jeremy placing a calming hand on his arm, subtly informing him that Stefan wasn't about to hurt her.

"Vicki, look at me. Focus," Stefan palmed both sides of Vicki's face and held eye contact with her, his face transformed into one of utter concentration. "You're gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine. Matt, take her up to bed. Shut the blinds. She's gonna be ok. Come on. Come on." Matt wasted no time in obeying, softly grabbing Vicki and taking her up to Jeremy's offered room.

No sooner were they out of earshot, did Jeremy bark out, "What's wrong with her?" Three pairs of eyes stared questioningly at the desolately grimacing veggie vamp, silently demanding answers.

Slowly, almost audibly, Stefan whispered, "She's transitioning… into a vampire."

After a minute of disbelieving silence, three " _whats?!"_ reverberated around the room, none of the siblings wanting to believe the weight and meaning behind Stefan's words.

"Damon must have gotten to her. She's new. She hasn't completed her transformation yet," Stefan rapidly explained in a hushed tone.

"But according to my sisters, you told them that feeding on human blood completes their transition and if they don't, then they'll … _die_. No, no. Vicki can't- _she can't die_!" Jeremy yelled bleakly, his face morphing into one of complete agony. It was no secret to the Gilbert twins that Jeremy moved beyond obsession toward the Drug-Queen, Vicki Donovan and was beginning to develop actual feelings for her since their parents' death.

"Hey, hey, Jer. Jer, look at me," Ember softly cupped Jeremy's face, caressing both cheeks with the pad of her thumbs, "We _will_ get through this. We will. I won't, WE won't allow anything to happen to her, okay?" Elena ran forward and hugged him, wiping away his tears.

Stefan stepped forward, "Ember's right. I'll work with her, I'll teach her not to kill-"

"Look, I appreciate the sentiment from all of you, but-," Jeremy turned around and roughly wiped away his tears with the sleeve of his shirt, "I grew up with a witch as a sister. Ember you-you, you taught me _so_ much. From what I understood, vampires retain part of their human emotions. Vick-Vicki is a drug addict; she won't make it as a vampire."

No one wanted to agree with Jeremy's astute deduction. Stefan, Elena and Ember traded grim looks, knowing that Jeremy's words had merit. Elena held Jeremy's hand, "The least we can do is _try_ , Jeremy."

"Just, just don't get your hopes up in case we fail," Ember said weakly. Jeremy nodded vehemently; he won't be detached to Vicki's current plight, but he'd have to get ready for the worst, he couldn't go through suffering over another loved one's death.

"She's gone!" the four bleak occupants whirled around to face a distressed Matt as he trudged down the stairs two at a time, "One minute she was fine, and then she just … she just freaked out."

After that, chaos ensued; Matt hastily departed without another word in order to search for Vicki, Stefan left to track her down with his vampire senses and the three Gilberts stayed in, pacing around the living room in dizzying circles, awaiting for Stefan while Ember began searching for answers in her large collection of magical books she had collected throughout the years.

It wasn't until two hours later that the doorbell rang and the twins approached the door cautiously due to the warning of Ember's spell, only to quickly slam the door shut in Damon's face. Unfortunately, he had quick reflexes and his hand shot out, stopping the door from closing fully, which brought Jeremy over to their aid.

Elena yanked Jeremy behind her and stood firmly beside Ember who glared at him ferociously, her emerald eyes sparkling as though it were the fiery pits of hell.

Damon smirked, his posture languid, electric blue eyes gleaming with mirth and mischief, "You're afraid of me. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess. Stefan _finally_ fessed up," his eyes flickered onto Jeremy, "I'm surprised you're included as well, but _you_ ," electric blue eyes focused intently on Ember, the only Gilbert staring him head on with bravado, "You are something else. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I do recall you fighting me off at the Founder's Party before Stefan intervened."

"Stay away from us," Elena snarled, her face twisted in fury, both hands in contact with her siblings for comfort and protection.

Glibly, Damon fluttered his eyelashes, a smile widening on his face, "Hey, there's no need to be rude. I'm just looking for Stefan. May I come in? Oh, wait," his face morphed into utmost smugness as he straightened up, "I've been invited in-" Damon's face transformed into perplexity when he found himself blocked by an invisible barrier, repeatedly trying and failing to enter the house. " _What the hell_!"

"You've just been _un_ invited, Salvatore," Ember smirked, and it was her turn to look smug as she stared down the vampire in glee.

"How?" he snarled.

"Let's just say, you pissed off the wrong person, Salvatore. Hurting Caroline, _wrong move_. Turning Vicki for your amusement, _wrong move_ ," Ember hissed, suddenly looking dangerous, "You've just upgraded yourself as the top contender of my little black book, Damon Salvatore, you better watch your back."

"You're a witch," Damon stated, before scoffing arrogantly, "You think I'm scared of witches? I've been a vampire for 145 years; I've met my fair share of witches, and trust me honey, you're not scary."

"Of the sort. I'm not your regular, everyday witch, Damon Salvatore. I'm more … volatile, potent, dangerous and risky, I play by _my_ own rules and I answer to _no one_." Ember's eyes darkened and she wandlessly set Damon's leg ablaze. Damon's eyes widened in horror and pain, and he began yelling in agony, trying to put out the flames, to no avail.

A minute later, Ember wandlessly reversed the spell, causing Damon to collapse onto the ground, for once, fear shone in his eyes, "What are you?"

"Your worst nightmare," Ember sibilantly hissed, bending down to Damon's eye level and glaring at him, "Don't misunderstand me not killing you as compassion, the only reason you still breathe the same air as us is because no matter how much you torture Stefan, he'd be miserable if his older brother died. My act of kindness is for Stefan's sake, _not yours_."

Standing up, Ember spared one last glance at Damon as though he were some bothersome fly, "Heed my warning, Damon Salvatore, you harm my own, and even my friendship with Stefan won't save you. Now leave!" and without further ado, she slammed the door shut on the volatile vampire's face.

"You are _so_ badass!" Jeremy grinned, despite the situation.

"Eh, I knew wandless magic would come in handy," Ember smirked. "Let's hope Damon isn't fool enough to test me."

"He may be an arrogant vampire, but the fear in his eyes was genuine. I don't think he'd test you soon. Maybe give it a week or two," Elena causally informed her as she grabbed the wireless home phone, "Anyone up for pizza delivery?"

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Matt Donovan – Zach Roerig**_

 _ **Vicki Donovan – Kayla Ewell**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Alan Hayes – Tyler Blackburn**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **How did you like this chapter?**

 **I enjoyed adding in my latest OC, Alan Hayes… would you like to see more of him?**

 **I do apologize for not showing the Potters & the Blacks in this chapter … this chapter concentrated on the Gilbert bonding, informing Caroline the truth and threatening Damon, there was no way I could add in a scene with them. But I PROMISE next chapter I will include them.**

 **On the other hand… did you enjoy Caroline finding out about vampires early on for once? I really do hate how Bonnie found out first and poor Care is always left out (I COULDN'T HELP BUT ADD IN THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN REFERENCE LOL!)**

 **To all Damon lovers, don't worry he won't stay the bad guy. But I have to be honest; there are many actions Damon took that I utterly HATE and there will be minor bashing, but most of all, he will be the lovable vampire you all adore so don't worry ;)**

 **R &R.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 8:**

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Ember couldn't help but worry slightly about her family's safety now that Damon had a certain notion that she wasn't to be messed with. Damon identified himself to be an open book to her sharp eyes; volatile, hot-headed and aggressive he may be, the elder Salvatore also didn't have the capability of backing off from a challenge _or_ a mystery. And unfortunately, last night, Ember was perceived by Damon to be both.

Grabbing a bunch of her thick curly crimson hair, Ember tied it up into a high ponytail before donning her leather jacket and darting down to the kitchen. Immediately, a hand shoved a mug filled with coffee into her hand, and she beamed at her twin in gratitude.

"So, siblings, what are we discussing?" Ember chirped, settling herself on the island beside Jeremy.

"Jenna gave us permission to skip school for the day so we can check on the whole Vicki issue," Elena relayed at once. Ember arched a brow, "But…? I'm sensing there's a 'but' next…"

" _But_ ," Jeremy enunciated wearily, "Matt called. Said that the police station is organizing a search party, and if I don't help with the 'search' then I'm gonna look suspicious."

Ember gave her brother a sympathetic smile; instead of Jeremy checking up on the girl he had feelings for, he'd have to spend the afternoon on a useless scavenger hunt.

"We decided it was best for Jeremy to head down to the police station and assist Matt," Elena concluded.

Groaning, Ember drained the last of her coffee and placed it in the sink, "Okay. Light bulb moment. We'll go to the Boarding House and after a couple of hours, we'll call you and give you an excuse to ditch, how's that?" Jeremy nodded with a smile. Ember clapped her hands, "Let's go then."

After Elena dropped Jeremy off, the twins leisurely made their way over to the Boarding House in comfortable silence; Elena glimpsed at Ember from the peripheral of her vision, "What do we do about Damon?"

"Ignore him?" she responded weakly, before sighing in exhaustion, "His pride is probably wounded. Big bad vamp got hosed by a teenaged girl … yeah, he ain't gonna take it like a champ. Just leave Damon to me."

"Ember! Hi," the twins turned around and groaned in unison when they found themselves staring at Violet and Ginny. Violet awkwardly shuffled over to them with Ginny grudgingly by her side, "I've been meaning to see you. Um, you want to, uh, go have coffee or something, catch up?"

Emerald green eyes met the figures of James and Lily sitting by the veranda, staring at the two Gilberts in hopeful curiosity. Maintaining eye contact with Violet, Ember casually dismissed her, "Sorry kid, I'm kind of busy at the moment." Ignoring the downfallen look on the younger girl's face, Ember looped arms with Elena and made a beeline to the Salvatore's front door.

They barely waited a second before the door swung open and a wide-eyed Damon stood before them. His electric blue eyes barely assessed Elena's form before pinning a roaming glare on Ember's confidant stance, eyes narrowing in thought and a hint of fear.

Clearing her throat to gain the elder Salvatore's attention, Elena asked, "Is Stefan here?" Never leaving Ember's person, Damon nodded his head. "Where is he?" Elena huffed, tightening her grip on Ember.

Grinning, Damon finally transferred his attention to Elena, "And good morning to you, little miss 'I'm on a mission'."

"Hey, Laney. Go check on Stefan and Vicki. I'd like to trade a few words with Damon here," Ember smiled sweetly at Damon upon noticing his stance turn rigid. Elena shot her a warning look before bypassing Damon, knowing that her sister could more than take care of herself.

"You wanted to talk. _Talk_ ," Damon snarled, trying to regain his flippant composure and be in charge.

Crossing her arms and leaning by the wall, Ember smirked, her eyes flittering from his leg to his face, "How's the leg?"

"Nothing a little blood couldn't cure," Damon snapped, taking a step forward and infiltrating Ember's personal space, "How did you do it? _What are you_?"

Ember laughed out loud, the melodious sound filling the air, "Oh Mr. Salvatore, whatever makes you think I'd confide in you?" Suddenly, her hand jabbed forward, pushing Damon backwards, "I don't like people crowding my personal space, Damon. Now, natural curiosity is a marvelous thing, however, I just wanted to make sure my words from the other night stands. _Stay away from my family and loved ones_."

If looks could kill, Ember would be six feet under; Damon threw her a parting glare before he snarled and walked over to his car; turning her back on him and walking inside, Ember didn't notice the contemplative look forming in Damon's eyes before he sped down the driveway.

* * *

"She said she was busy," Violet mumbled forlornly, taking a seat next to her dad. James sighed despondently and hugged his youngest to his side, trading a sad look with his wife.

"She made it quite clear that she doesn't want anything to do with us. Dad, let's just ignore her. Who cares about her?" Harold sneered.

"Harry!" Lily scolded her son, "We are trying to fix our past mistake! We gave away an important member of our family, and we don't give up when it comes to family."

"Why?! I mean, you gave her up without a second thought sixteen years ago! And now that we discover she's the one who defeated Voldemort we rush down to her, begging to join our family," Violet yelled, pushing herself away from her father and shooting up to her feet.

"Violet!" James snapped.

"No!" Violet interjected, "If, if I were in her place, I'd probably want nothing to do with you all. Just like her. She has a family, a life, do you actually think she'd throw it all away after what you did to her?!"

There was a gloomy silence around the Potter Manor and they only looked up when they noted one of their neighbors arguing with Ember. James and Lily gasped when they witnessed her using wandless magic, especially around a Muggle and glared in thought, watching intently as the man snarled at her and walked away.

"Vi, let's go shop for our Halloween costume for tonight's party," Ginny tried alleviating the tension, smiling when Violet nodded in agreement.

"Why would Ember use magic around a Muggle, James?" Lily asked in hushed tones.

James shook his head, "I don't know. We'll discuss this during the next Order meeting."

* * *

"I take it Jeremy was correct in his assessment?" Ember asked once she entered the living room, looking at Stefan for confirmation.

Stefan sighed, and grudgingly nodded, "Yes, he was dead on. She has a very volatile and impulsive personality, and a drug user. It will all play a part in how she responds to coping and feeding."

"So she's a vampire with issues," Elena snorted, giggling slightly in amusement.

"I heard that!" a snarky tone snapped out loud, and the three of them turned to stare at the grumpy Vicki as she joined them on the couch.

"So, how's the first day of your immortal life treating ya?" Ember smirked; Stefan shook his head in amusement. Ever since he returned to Mystic Falls and got acquainted with the Gilberts, life stopped being a bore. Even after discovering their secret or Ember's to be specific, he couldn't believe how comfortable they were around the supernatural. Usually mortals run the other way, kicking and screaming, yet the Gilberts, and by extension, Jenna, continued to surprise him with how lax and comfortable they were around him.

Stefan feared that with Damon in the picture, they'd hate him and kill his brother, yet once again, they surprised him with their compassion and understanding.

"Seriously? You're kidding right?" Vicki sneered, glaring at Ember, "What kind of question is that?"

"Jeez. Who peed in your Cheerios this morning? Grumpy much?" Ember drawled, her emerald eyes shining with mirth, ignoring Elena nudging her side to shut up.

"Okay, enough, Ember," Stefan smiled, returning from the kitchen with four mugs of coffee and distributing them to the three girls and himself. Ember and Elena squealed in delight, wasting no time in taking a sip from their addictive drink, both of them ignoring the bewildered and amused look they garnered from Vicki and Stefan respectively.

"Coffee is our friend. It's the caffeine. It, uh, circulates through our veins, and it warms our body so we're not so cold to the touch," while Stefan educated Vicki on Vampire 101, the twins listened enthusiastically, hanging on to every word and mentally adding them to the long list of things about Traditional Vampires. Ember was in awe as she noted how much they differentiated from Magical Vampires.

"Well, what if I want to drink human blood?" Vicki asked.

Stefan sighed in annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose for the umpteenth time, "You're gonna have to learn to live with that urge and fight it on a daily basis one day at a time."

"Oh god!" Vicki groused, "Don't start with that whole 12 steps thing. School counselor has been down that road, and it doesn't work for me."

"She could still drink human blood and not kill," Elena shrugged, adding in her two cents, "As long as you curb yourself from draining them dry." Stefan gaped at Elena in shock while Vicki smirked triumphantly, glad that someone was on her side for once.

"You're still new, Vicki. It will be hard for you. But that doesn't mean you can't drink from donated blood, until you're able to adjust around humans without the urge to rip their throats," Ember piped up. "It's in a vampire's nature to drink from humans," she diverted her words to Stefan, "In my world, vampires either make an agreement, a contract you may say, with a willing donor and regularly feeds on them, once they managed to control their blood thirst, _duh_. _Or_ , they snack from blood bags. It's no biggie."

"Yeah, see Stefan. _They_ agree with me," Vicki smugly slid the mug filled with bunny blood away from her, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

Speechless, Stefan was unable to get a word out at the quick turn in the conversation. Elena pierced Vicki with a solemn glare, "Stefan however, has a point. You're still new, and before you can enjoy your new life, you must learn control. Meaning, you _must_ stay away from Matt, Jeremy and humans in general, until you're able to live amongst them and accustom yourself like Damon and Stefan did."

"I would _never_ hurt Jeremy," Vicki snarled, her eyes turning blood red in anger.

Ember rolled her eyes; newbie vampires were so touchy and oblivious, "Seriously? Out of _everything_ the three of us told you, _that's_ what you settled on?"

"I know you _think_ that you _won't_ hurt Jeremy, but we can't take that risk. You're going to have to let Jeremy go for now, until you accomplish control," Elena said compassionately, but before any of them could react, Vicki vamped out and flew over to Elena's side, hand curled around her neck as she slammed her onto the wall.

"Let's get one thing straight, you _perky little bitch_. You had my brother whipped for fifteen years. _Fifteen years_ and then you dumped him. When I look at you that is _all_ I see, just so you know. _And I'm gonna see Jeremy whenever I want to see Jeremy_ , because I have some fun new toys to play with, and I won't think twice about ripping your little head off. _You got it?"_

Quick as a flash, Ember whipped out her wand, rage consuming her every nerve. With one measly non-verbal spell, she had Vicki fly across the room and pinned onto the wall.

" _Crucio_."

Vicki's tortured screams and agonizing yells filled the room, her whole body began twitching sporadically and her hands grabbed both sides of her head in anguish, eyes screwed shut, and emitting tears down her face. With Vicki being a strong supernatural creature, Ember held the spell for a minute longer than customary, knowing that it would take much, _much_ longer for her to be reduced into insanity.

Unlike the British wizarding community, the Unforgivable Curses weren't so unforgivable in America; the American wizarding community had more leeway when it came to using Dark Spells, and since Ember was using the Cruciatus Curse in defense against a dangerous creature, it wasn't illegal and wouldn't raise any warning bells at the Magical Congress.

Finally, Ember released the spell and threateningly loomed over Vicki's tear-stained face as she huddled into the wall, her hazel eyes unblinkingly staring up at her in fear. "I don't take well to threats against my family, _Vicki_ ," she spat, fondling her wand threateningly over her terrified face. "I won't warn you again. Touch my family, and I won't waste time in shoving a stake through your heart. _You got it_?"

Vicki nodded rapidly, tears continuing to leak down her face; using her vampire speed with as much remaining energy she could muster, she flashed up to her temporary room. Suddenly, Ember beamed, "Great!" and re-holstered her wand again. "You okay, Laney?"

Elena nodded, smiling fondly at her sister as she clutched her sore throat. Coughing a few times, she massaged her throat and hoarsely said, "Nothing a warm cup of tea wouldn't fix. Thanks, Em." Ember embraced her sister lovingly, before meeting the gobsmacked face of Stefan who stammered, "Wh-What was that? The spell?"

"The torture curse," Ember shrugged nonchalantly, "It's only illegal to use in bigoted Britain. I could have used any spell, but I had to instill fear in Vicki, show her that we weren't playing around, and the Cruciatus Curse was the most painful one I could think of."

Stefan chuckled nervously, "Makes me think you were just toying with Damon last night when you set his leg on fire."

Elena laughed, "She was. Ember could have done a lot worse if she wanted to."

* * *

"She threatened you?" Jeremy shouted, his hands were clenched into fists and his eyes trailed over Elena's neck where a bruised hand mark used to be before Ember healed it with a bruise balm she quickly concocted.

Dressed in last year's nurse costume for the party, Elena smiled genially at her younger brother, "Jer, it's okay, don't worry about it."

Scowling, he snapped in retort, "Don't tell me not to worry about it, Elena! Vicki manhandled you and threatened you. If Stefan and Ember weren't there, it could have been a lot worse."

"She also commented on using you as a play toy," Ember cheekily added walking into Elena's room dressed in a skimpy Queen of Hearts costume. Jeremy narrowed his eyes in disapproval at her costume, but wisely kept his mouth shut, and decided to safely ask, "Tell me you taught her a lesson?"

Ember and Elena shared sinister grins; 'Family _always_ comes first' that was the Gilbert motto. Despite the fact that Jeremy was falling for Vicki the Drug Queen of Mystic Falls, it wouldn't protect her from any harm. If Stefan dared to hurt them, then the Gilberts would retaliate, regardless of Elena's growing affection towards him.

"Oh, she taught her a lesson alright. She used the Cruciatus Curse," Elena flippantly informed him. Jeremy whistled, unable to withhold a wince at that, but before he could get a word in, his phone rang with a text, and his face morphed into anger upon reading it.

"That was Vicki. She's going to the Halloween party and wants to see me."

Ember nodded resolutely, "We won't tell you what to do, Jer. But… if _anything_ happens, use your bracelet."

"Promise," Jeremy sighed; he loved Vicki and missed her, yes. But he knew how dangerous it was to all the partygoers to be in Vicki's vicinity. He would have to stick to her side and make sure she harmed no one.

Ember tossed him a wooden stake and cheekily grinned, "Plan B. Always have a backup plan."

* * *

"Cider for the ladies. It's a Lockwood special," Tyler dressed in a gladiator costume grinned as he distributed drinks to Caroline, Bonnie and unfortunately, Violet, Ginny, Cassiopeia and Hermione. The Gilbert twins' two best friends didn't fail to notice that Tyler Lockwood seemed to be spending a lot of time with the Brits, and they didn't like it _at all_.

"The bookworm know-it-all came to a Halloween party dressed as a librarian," Caroline snippily spoke up.

Bonnie chuckled, "How ironic."

"Better than being dressed up as cliché witches," Hermione retorted bossily.

Caroline didn't bother deigning the bitch witch with an answer as she located Ember, Elena and Stefan approaching them through the sea of students. Squealing, Caroline embraced the twins in a group-hug, "Oh, my, God! Queen of Hearts, you sexy slut! And Elena, _why_ are you wearing last year's costume? Ember, why did you let her leave the house dressed like that?!"

"Uh, sorry?" Elena asked with a giggle. Rolling her eyes, Bonnie approached them, "Ignore Care, you look great."

"I like your costume, Ember," Violet smiled timidly, hoping to get in her sister's good graces.

"You too, fairy looks good on you," Ember flashed a strained smile. Shooting a meaningful glance at Elena and Stefan, she tugged Caroline to the side to speak in private. "Okay, Care, don't freak out, _but_ , Damon turned Vicki into a vampire and she lacks control. She's in the party somewhere, so use the bracelet I gave you if _anything_ happens and stick close to Bonnie, 'kay?"

"Oh, god!" Caroline gasped, placing both hands over her mouth, her face morphing into worry. Determinedly, she nodded, "I won't let her out of my sight … but, what are-, are you going to _kill_ her?" she whispered.

"No. We're giving her a chance, but if she becomes a threat to the citizens of Mystic Falls, then we have no choice," Ember said forlornly.

Ember and Caroline may have never liked the girl, but the fact that someone they grew up with and knew all their lives, especially being a close friend's sister… the fact that they might have to kill her for the safety of the town, depressed the girls.

As they joined the others, Matt walked up to them, "Have you guys seen Vicki? I lost her in the crowd."

"Uh, no, sorry," Elena awkwardly replied.

"What costume is she wearing? That way we'd easily locate her," Caroline tried sounding casual, hiding her nerves and the guilt that was consuming her.

"A vampire. You can't miss her," he chuckled, oblivious to the four shocked looks that were being traded.

"A vampire. Right, haha, cool, okay, we'll let you, um, we'll let you know," Caroline laughed nervously, fumbling with her skirt.

Bonnie shot the blonde a weird look, "Care, are you alright?"

"Peachy keen," she shrieked, "I need a drink!" And she grabbed Bonnie's wrist and fled from the group's vicinity.

"Typical Care," Ember and Elena laughed, alleviating the awkward tension. Matt chuckled and joined Tyler's side, leaving the twins alone with Stefan.

Leaning forward, Stefan urgently whispered, "We should spread out and find her."

"Don't worry about it," Elena soothed his worries, "Jeremy's with her and armed in case anything happens."

"Let's just act normal and enjoy the party," Ember grinned, grabbing a drink from the stand.

"Are you three okay? You're acting weird," Cassiopeia stated. The twins didn't bother to hide their annoyed groans as the Brit Crew joined them.

"We're fine thanks," Ember said in a clipped tone.

"I don't believe you!" Harold sneered. Stefan loomed over him, transforming his face to look threatening, "Why don't you mind you own business!"

"Well, why don't you bac-" Harold was interjected as a loud hiss escaped Ember's throat and her face morphed into one of utter terror.

"Em?" Elena asked, eyes widening in fear.

"Jeremy! He's in trouble, we gotta go," Ember hissed, rubbing her wrist as the bracelet burned against her skin. She grabbed Elena and Stefan and dragged them away from the bewildered Brits into an empty classroom, "Okay, Elena already experienced side-along apparition before, so Stef, this will be slightly uncomfortable," and without giving the vampire a chance to collect his bearings, she apparated the three of them down to the basement.

Stefan placed a hand over his head, trying to shake off the disturbing feeling of being sucked into a tube, while the two Gilberts already gathered themselves like a pro, eyes widening at the sight that met their eyes.

Jeremy was pinned onto the wall while Vicki, who had a stake embedded in her torso, fed from his neck.

"Jeremy!" Elena squealed in fright, reflexively grabbing a nearby plank and hitting Vicki on the side of her face.

Ember snarled, eyes flashing in murderous rage and she yelled, "Incendio!" forgoing wandless magic with her rage and will to harm the bitch who dared to ignore her warnings. Vicki screeched at the top of her lungs, but she still managed to flash over to Elena's side as the flames licked her body, but before she managed to sink her fangs into her distraught twin, Stefan recovered from the disturbing sensation of apparition and stabbed her heart with the plank Elena dropped in her haste.

"Vicki!" Jeremy yelled in agony, tears streaming down his face; all three Gilberts watched in morbid fascination and horror as Vicki's eyes widened in fear, black veins began appearing over every sliver of skin openly displayed and she decomposed right before their eyes into a mummified corpse before collapsing with a loud thud onto the ground.

"Jeremy, I'm so sorry, I had to-" Stefan began to speak, but Jeremy shook his head and held a hand up in a silencing gesture before kneeling down on the ground beside Vicki's mummified corpse, tears streaming down his face and onto hers.

The silence was stifling. Elena and Ember watched in dismay with tears cascading down their flawless features at the sight of their younger brother mourning over the girl he loved. Their hearts wrenched; it was too soon a loss after their parents' death, and they feared Jeremy wouldn't be able to get past it.

Ten minutes of mourning silence, Damon walked over to them, freezing in shock at the scene playing out. With a cocky smirk, he met Ember's eyes, "You should leave. I got this," he pointed at Vicki's form.

Jeremy glared at Damon with utter hatred, and only Ember and Elena's presence managed to subside his urge to stake the cocky vampire that caused Vicki's death. Stefan ambled over to them cautiously, "Come on, I'll, uh, I'll drop you home."

Frankly, Stefan pitied Jeremy and Vicki, but a part of him feared for Damon's life. He knew that if Ember decided to kill his brother, he wouldn't be much of a match. Ember glared at Damon and addressed the group behind her, "Wait by the car, I'll only be a minute." She spared Stefan a reassuring nod, silently informing him that she wouldn't kill Damon.

"You did this. All this, it's _your_ fault," Ember quietly said, eyes trained on uncaring electric blue orbs. "My brother was already dealing with the loss of our parents, and now, now he has to grieve the girl he loved. YOU did this!"

Rolling his eyes, Damon smirked, "You confuse me for someone with remorse. None of this matters to me. _None of it_ ," he hissed.

"It must be a lonely existence," and Damon was shocked speechless, especially when he recognized the compassion in her voice and pity in her eyes. "To wander your immortal life alone, ruining all chances at happiness," Ember chuckled humorlessly, "Stefan managed to build a life here, he gained friends and allies, _a chance for happiness_. Yet you throw it all away, and for what?"

Damon recoiled backwards as though he were struck; each word was a stab to the emotions he so deftly tucked away and hid from the world ever since the loss of Katherine.

"Whatever reason it is, I hope it's worth it," and with those parting words, Ember left the premises, leaving behind a glum and confused Damon to bury Vicki's body.

Ember barely spared a glance at her surroundings as she rushed over to the parking lot, hastily wiping the streaming tears roughly from her face. Blindly bypassing the horde of teenagers, she bumped into a hard chest, and before she could lose her footing, two strong arms snaked around her waist, holding her still and preventing her from falling.

"I'm so sorry, are you okay?" a husky, good-natured voice with a British accent spoke up. Looking up, Ember's eyes widened at the devastatingly handsome stranger; he had long auburn hair tied back in a ponytail, an earring with a fang dangled from one ear, smooth taut face structure and was garbed in leather. Sparkling sapphire eyes stared down at her, awaiting her response.

"No, it was my fault. I didn't watch where I was going. Sorry," Ember smiled hesitantly.

"You're crying," he stated, brows knitting together in concern, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine," Ember dismissively waved a hand, just as someone giddily screeched from behind, " _Bill_!"

Turning around, Ember sighed in annoyance when the Brit Crew approached, led by Ginny who held eyes for no one but the tall and handsome redhead. The others however were curiously scrutinizing her face in an attempt to decipher the reason behind her tears.

"Ember, let's go," Stefan appeared out of nowhere by her side, and softly wound an arm around her waist. Ember nodded and smiled at 'Bill', "Sorry again."

* * *

James and Lily were having a wonderful dinner with Sirius and Marlene and were currently sitting by the porch drinking elf-made wine and discussing their children acclimating in this town when one of the Gilbert's car parked down the driveway.

Four pairs of eyes watched in barely concealed worriment as they witnessed the distraught Gilbert boy being led cautiously into the house by a tear-stained redhead and brunette while the Potters' neighbor sat on the porch swing outside.

"What do you think happened?" Lily asked worriedly. "James, they're dressed in Halloween costumes, do you think the kids are alright?"

"Relax, Lils. Bill went to pick them up. I'm sure everything's just fine," Marlene soothed her frazzled best friend.

"If only we could hear what they're saying," Sirius grumbled.

They silently observed as Ember and Elena walked out a few minutes later, their bodies wracking with sobs as the male tightly embraced them, their mouths rapidly moving in conversation.

Another man with dark hair approached them, his body tense as he spoke to the girls who began shaking their heads in vehement negative.

"Aren't those your neighbors?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Yes. It seems something happened," James mused out loud; unknown to the Potters and Blacks, the Salvatores heard every single word traded between them, and a few minutes later, the girls ambled inside the house leaving the brothers outside.

"Something about this town seems off. Did any of you feel it?" Lily asked in concern.

"Sweetheart, you worry too much," James chuckled, "You're being paranoid."

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I can't believe Vicki's dead; a girl I had known my whole life, sister to one of my childhood friends, and daughter to my late mother's best friend …Dead; her life snuffed out of her before she had the chance to see the world, get cured from her addiction, graduate, get married and have children._

 _But her death was inevitable ever since Damon turned her into a vampire._

 _The morbid fact was that we saw her death coming. With her being a drug addict as a human, it would take centuries for her to curb her murderous urges and not kill for the sake of satiating her appetite._

 _But in all honestly, I never expected in a million years for her victim to be Jeremy, the boy she loved and who loved her back, despite her many flaws._

 _I am proud that Jeremy fought back and staked her in an attempt to injure her and have her vision unclouded by the consuming bloodlust; I am proud that my little brother called for my aid, knowing that Vicki would probably die for harming him. And although he is devastated by her loss, I believe that in time, he'd recover._

 _Shockingly, Damon approached us upon our return from the fiasco of a party and conveyed genuine remorse when he asked Elena and I if he wanted us to compel him to forget Vicki's death; it was tempting, believe me, Elena and I were so_ _ **tempted**_ _to agree._

' _ **Family always comes first'**_ _the Gilbert motto stopped us from accepting the tantalizing offer._

 _Jeremy needed to remember, compelling him would only create a void in his heart and memory, and he would be living a lie; something we could not purposely afflict to our beloved brother. We of course informed Jeremy of Damon's offer, and for a second, we thought that he would accept, but then he shook his head in negative and told us that he needed to remember._

 _It would be curse to live on in life, happy and oblivious while the girl he loved laid buried in a ditch somewhere, dead and unable to ever come back._

 _Us Gilberts are strong and level-headed. We will move on from Vicki's tragic death and with Elena and I by Jeremy's side, his wounds would heal. After all, time heals all wounds, but with your loved ones nearby, he would heal faster from the devastating loss._

 _My only hope is that there will be no more deaths in the future._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Vicki Donovan – Kayla Ewell**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

 _ **Violet Potter – Maia Mitchell**_

 _ **Ginny Weasley – Bonnie Wright**_

 _ **Harold Potter – Daniel Radcliffe**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Tyler Lockwood – Michael Trevino**_

 _ **Cassiopeia Black – Ashley Benson**_

 _ **Matt Donovan – Zach Roerig**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Marlene Black – Blake Lively**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Hello dear Readers. I hope you liked this chapter…?**

 **I began showing the Potters and Blacks suspicion, I mean, they couldn't immediately discover the Traditional Vampire's existence, it will take time.**

 **Unfortunately, I couldn't save Vicki, and to be honest, I didn't want to because she plays no part in the future chapters. I hope you liked how I portrayed Jeremy in this chapter; honestly in canon, Vicki tried killing him and his sister and he was oblivious, crying over her murder … here I showed how he fought back, knowing that she could die, but Family comes First!**

 **I hated Elena compelling Jeremy in canon … here I portrayed their close bond as siblings. They ASKED Jeremy beforehand and he REFUSED.**

 **What do you think about Bill's appearance? I'm still not sure if he'll play part in my story. In this chapter, Bill came to visit his youngest siblings. But if you'd like me to add him into the story, let me know and I'll create a plot for him.**

 **Question: Next chapter we see LEXI BRANSON! Should I have her killed like in canon, or no? Let me know.**

 **R &R.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **Dear Readers; I have received some reviews about Jeremy's inability to get compelled due to the vervained tattoo – the explanation will be in the first Diary Entry of this chapter. ALSO, I got a question asking about: Since Jeremy has a vervained tattoo then Vicki wouldn't be able to feed from him … the answer Dear Faithful Readers of mine, is** _ **No**_ **. The vervained tattoo only prevents them from getting compelled, in order for vampires to be unable to drink directly from them, they would have to ingest vervain every 2-3 days.**

 **Chapter 9:**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _A restless night; that is what I compared the night of Vicki's death to, as I lay in bed listening to Jeremy's heart wrenching sobs seep through the wall separating my room from his. After two hours of agonizingly being forced to listen to my baby brother – the sibling I swore to protect and nurture ever since my mom was miraculously pregnant with him – I couldn't take it anymore, I couldn't stay in bed, idly by and listen to his mourning cries._

 _I jumped out of bed and cuddled into my brother's side, hugging him tightly as he cried into the crook of my neck. Not even a minute later, Jeremy's door opened and Elena ambled in, obviously having heard my footsteps and Jeremy's pained cries, and she joined us in bed, sandwiching our dearly beloved baby bro._

 _An hour later, Jeremy finally managed to fall asleep, his cheeks stained with dried and fresh tears, and his eyes all puffy with red blotches. Elena and I managed to surrender to four hours of sleep before Jenna woke us up, exclaiming that we had to visit the police department and prepare ourselves for Sherriff Forbes oncoming interrogation._

 _Last night, although Damon offered us the suggestion of compelling Jeremy – unknown to him that we are immune – we privately spoke to Jeremy about erasing the events that led to Vicki's death. Obviously, Jer would have to act like he was compelled and once Damon departed, I would obliviate him. Jeremy was brave enough to refuse the temptation, stating that it would be an insult to Vicki's memory, even though she tried to snack on Jeremy as an appetizer before gobbling Elena and I up as the main course and desert, respectively._

 _I fear Jeremy's inability to move on from mourning Vicki's death, as it is too soon after our parents' unfortunate and tragic accident. Hopefully, with Aunt Jenna, Elena, me and even Stefan by his side, Jer-Bear would be able to move on from his sorrow and pull himself together._

 _ **Our only hope**_ _, is that Jeremy doesn't succumb once again to drugs for comfort._

 _ **My hope**_ _, is that Damon stops trying to maim and harm the citizens of Mystic Falls, because, brother of dear Stefan or not, I wouldn't be able to stand idly by, ignore his actions and watch him terrorize my hometown and the people I love. Hopefully now that Caroline is aware and has means of protecting herself, she wouldn't fall prey to Damon and his devilish schemes._

 _That is all for now, wish me luck for Sheriff Forbes interrogation – even though she is the mother of my best friend, that woman is still hardcore and proficient in her job, not to forget how skilled she is when it comes to detecting lies._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

Sighing, Ember snapped her diary shut with an audible snap and hid it into her pillowcase before stretching her limbs and jumping out of bed, already dressed for the day. She stalked over to her hidden floorboard under the bed where she kept a few potion supplies, and fished out three vials of Calming Draught – after all, it would be greatly needed for the interrogation at the Police Department, considering Vicki's mysterious and sudden 'disappearance'.

"Jer, Laney! _Where are you_?" Ember sang, trying to alleviate the somber ambience that had encompassed the Gilbert Residence since last night.

"Kitchen!" Jenna called out, her voice slightly muffled; Ember discovered the reason when she walked in to see her face buried in a depressed Jeremy's chest. Smiling softly, Ember accepted the coffee from her twin and pecked Jeremy's cheek.

"What are the potions for?" Elena asked curiously, her chocolate brown orbs attached to the orangey-brownish liquid swirling in the vial; her nose scrunched up in distaste as her smart noggin comprehended that three vials meant she would most probably be forced into consuming the vile looking swill.

Slowly, and in a dramatic fashion, Ember placed one vial beside Elena's coffee, the other next to Jeremy's and kept the last in hand. "These, dear sister o' mine, are Calming Draughts, and they are used to, as you know, but for the sake of knowledge, calm someone down when they suffer a shock or an emotional outburst," every occupant in the kitchen were silent as they processed Ember's words, "Now, although I am confident that Elena and I would be able to fool Sheriff Forbes, hands down, Jeremy won't be able to, since the… _event_ is still fresh, and for the sake of efficiency, it is better to be prepared than sorry. So drink up, dear siblings. Cheers!" she said in a posh British accent.

Jeremy cracked a weak smile, recognizing Ember trying to cheer him up slightly. In unison, the three Gilbert siblings uncorked their vial and in one swift action, threw the whole thing back and chugged, draining the disgusting potion in one large swallow.

"Disgusting," Elena gagged, clamping a hand over her mouth in case she threw the potion back up.

Jeremy shook his head like a dog would after its bath, "God, Em. Couldn't you try and make them taste … drinkable instead of like toxic waste."

" _Hey_! Beggars can't be choosers. I'm working with the best that I got," Ember snapped cheekily; the three siblings whipped around upon hearing Jenna's laughter, and Ember couldn't help but wag her finger and threateningly say, "Aunt Jenna, ya know, if you'd like, I got an extra vial for yo-"

"NO! No, uh, I'm good, anyways, you three should be on your way," Jenna deflected, before running up the stairs and barricading herself in her room.

"CHICKEN!" Elena yelled after her. Ember smiled, feeling at ease, and looking at Jeremy, she beamed; Jeremy looked as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he didn't resemble somebody that was about to be admitted into death's door.

Suddenly, strong arms snaked around her waist and Jeremy pecked her forehead, "Thanks sis, I feel loads better after that potion."

Elena bobbed her head enthusiastically as she grabbed her car keys from the hook by the front door, "Same here. One could easily get addicted to the stuff, if only, you know-" she wrinkled her nose, slamming the car door shut and looking at the rearview mirror at Jeremy, "-if the stuff didn't taste like crap."

Ember groaned in a histrionic manner, shielding her eyes with her arm, "You guys are soooo high-maintenance."

* * *

Caroline, bless the bubbly blonde, managed to sway her mom by using the daughter-of-the-Sheriff card, into interrogating the Gilbert siblings together, using the honest excuse of Jeremy's forlornness and inability to cope with Vicki's abrupt disappearance.

"I know this is hard for you, Jeremy," Liz smiled compassionately at him, "But this is protocol, so try and answer to the best of your abilities, and we'll be done before you know it."

"You got it Sheriff, and thanks for allowing us to be together," Ember smiled saccharinely.

And in the snap of their fingers, Sheriff Liz Forbes cast away her motherly visage and adopted her badass Sheriff persona, "Where did Vicki say she was going?"

"As far as Elena and I know, she didn't tell us anything. Uh, Matt was the last person to see her," Ember swiftly responded while Elena bobbed her head in agreement. Sheriff Forbes looked at Jeremy for his reply, and he answered dully, "I tried searching for her at the Halloween party, I couldn't find her though. All I got was that she came in a vampire costume."

The three Gilberts didn't fail to notice how Liz Forbes vehemently tried to suppress her flinch at the word 'vampire'. Nodding her head professionally, she moved on to her next question, "Previously, when I questioned Matt, he informed me that Stefan Salvatore may know what happened to her prior to her leaving town. As I understand, Elena, you are currently dating Mr. Salvatore. Why would Matt name Stefan?"

"Stefan has some friends with drug problems, so he understood how to help Vicki, and since she was involved with my brother, I asked if he would offer his assistance as I didn't want to see Jeremy get hurt by Vicki's wrong choices," Elena answered with perfect nonchalance; Ember hid her triumphant grin, she knew that if it weren't for the Calming Draught, then Elena would be a nervous wreck while answering that specific question.

"I, I had, I _have_ … strong feelings towards Vicki," Jeremy covered for his sister, needing to make the excuse more convincing, "I wanted her to get better, and I was desperate, so I agreed with Elena's reasoning, and I'm thankful for Stefan's help."

Leaning forward across her desk, Sheriff Forbes' shrewd eyes flickered between the three Gilberts, "What was her behavior like those last few days before she left?"

"Skittish, like she was coming down from some… major partying, almost high," Ember instantly replied.

Elena nodded and paused to think of any other details they could use that wouldn't describe vampire symptoms, "Exactly like Ember said. She was very sketchy and nervous. Also, she showed signs of extreme hunger, like she had just gotten high and needed to abate her cravings."

"Any signs of aggression, or perhaps violence?" Sheriff Forbes asked with a sigh; their answers were legit, and corresponded with Matt and Stefan when she questioned them earlier.

Jeremy shook his head vehemently, "None that I remember."

"So, you three believe that Vicki really has left town?"

"Yes," Ember, Elena and Jeremy answered simultaneously.

The Gilbert siblings didn't dare open their mouths and discuss the curiously suspicious questions asked by Liz Forbes as they exited the Police Department. Once they reached Elena's car, Stefan appeared in their line of vision looking all hot and broody with a sympathetic smile.

"You three okay?" he asked gently, focusing more on Jeremy than the twins.

Jeremy shrugged, the effects of the Calming Draught diminishing from his system. "Not really, but I will be. She's, she's in a better place, at least she wouldn't have to suffer through the constant cravings and the guilt of killing innocent people," he bravely tried to smile, receiving a suffocating bear hug from Ember and Elena.

"So, um, I was wondering if you three want to come over to the Boarding House… my best friend is in town and she'd love to meet you," Stefan offered with a smile.

Ember and Elena instantly looked to Jeremy for approval, but he merely shook his head, "How about you guys drop me home, I want to be alone for a while. But you two don't let me stop you."

"You sure, Jer-Bear?" Ember asked uncertainly, her sharp emerald eyes scrutinizing him for an honest answer. But Jeremy rolled his eyes, and shoved her lightly, "Positive. I need time, at least a day or two to brood and mourn. Don't worry," he stressed upon seeing the identical looks of uncertainty on the twins' faces – they may not be biological twins, but you could never tell with how identically similar they were in personality, and action wise, "I promise I have no craving of ever imbibing drugs or any prescription pills. I'm over that self-denigration phase."

The twins beamed in pride and engulfed him in another suffocating hug, wordlessly conveying their emotions.

Patting a fond Stefan on the shoulder, Ember grinned, "Alright Stefano, you want to hitch a ride with us? Or would you prefer to speed over there on foot and we'll meet you later?"

"Uh, I'll just meet you there," Stefan smiled; before he left, he locked lips with Elena, eliciting a 'get a room' from Jeremy and a 'PG Rated, there is a minor here, guys' from Ember as she jokingly covered Jeremy's precious eyes.

* * *

"Stefano! Yoo-Hoo, your favorite townie twins have arrived!" Ember called out as her and Elena entered the Boarding House after dropping Jeremy off.

Stefan immediately descended the staircase with a gorgeous blonde by his side; she had a Californian tan, a round-shaped face, a button nose and wide brown eyes. "Oh my God!" the girl gasped, staring agape at Elena as though she was staring at a ghost.

"Lexi," Stefan warningly gritted out, subtly shaking his head; Ember glared at them in suspicion, but since her magic wasn't crackling and sending off warning vibes like it did around Damon, she didn't comment, and instead smiled, "Okay, I know Laney is like, _utterly_ _gorgeous_ , but I'm here too, ya know."

The woman – Lexi, whipped around to face Ember, and her nervous visage melted only to be replaced with an approving smile, "Hmm, _I like her_. Lexi Branson, Stefan's best friend, vampire."

"Ember Gilbert, Stefan's comic relief, witch, but not the lame spiritual ones y'all know, I'm a badass wand-wielding witch," Ember smirked, garnering herself a raised eyebrow from the blonde. Elena scoffed, bumping shoulders with her twin, and she smiled shyly at Lexi, "Elena Gilbert, this doofus over here is my annoying twin sister that has no mouth filter whatsoever, Stefan's girlfriend, and no, I'm not being territorial here, oh, and I'm human, _obviously_."

Lexi nodded, visibly impressed, "Alright, Stefan, I totally approve of these two. And don't worry Elena, I'd rather chop my tongue off than _ever_ seek Stefan as a boyfriend. Ugh, we're strictly best friends, besides, I have a boyfriend."

The two vampires and the twins settled themselves comfortably on Stefan's duvet, and Ember wasted no time in opening her damn filter, much to Elena and Stefan's amusement, "So … Lexi, what brings you down to our neck of the woods? I mean, this town is so idyllic and drab … mostly."

"Well, it's Stefan's one-hundredth and sixty-second birthday today. Where else would I be?" Lexi grinned.

Elena shot Stefan an accusing glare and gasped, "It's your birthday?" Simultaneously, Ember squawked, "Damn, you're _old_."

Lexi grabbed Ember's arm, and jutted her head toward the door "Let's leave the couple to celebrate Stefan's birthday for a while and go to another room and have a girl-to-girl chat, one-o-one."

"Why don't we just go outside for a bit," Ember frowned in puzzlement. Lexi smiled wistfully, "I wish. Unfortunately, I am not lucky enough to be in possession of a daylight ring, and so, I am stuck indoors during the day."

Ember scoffed, " _Seriously_? Did you NOT hear the part where I said I'm a badass witch?" Turning to face a heavily kissing Stefan and Elena, Ember wrinkled her nose and dragged Lexi out, "They probably won't notice that we're gone for another hour… actually, make that two. Come on." She stopped Lexi by the front door, whipped out her wand, completely ignoring Lexi's awed look as she stared at her awesome wand, and lightly tapped Lexi once on the crown of her head, clearly enunciating, " _Solis Abhorrens_. Okay, done. It the spell will last twenty-four hours, so beware if you don't want to end up as a barbecue crisp." Ember smirked cheekily, holstering her wand back into its invisible wandholster.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Lexi stepped over the threshold, clenching her eyes shut when her skin touched the scorching sunrays; after a minute, her chocolate orbs snapped open and widened, staring at an amused Ember in shock, and in her awe, ecstatic tears streamed down her face as she pulled the redhead in for a crushing embrace, murmuring sobbing a litany of gratitude into the crook of her neck.

"Oh my God. _God_! I haven't been able to roam under the sun for _three hundred and fifty years_! This is, like, this is, this is the best present I could ever imagine!" Lexi blubbered, hastily wiping away her happy tears.

Ember smiled sadly, "I understand. I'll try and get you and your boyfriend a daylight ring, until then, whenever you need a day out, you know where to find me. Come on, hop in," she ginned, sliding into Elena's car; during her passionate make-out session with Stefan, Ember deftly swiped her car keys from right under her nose. As Lexi buckled the seatbelt, Ember waited for Caroline to answer her text.

"Can I ask you something?" an extremely hyper Lexi asked.

"You just did, _but_ I'll allow you to ask another one," Ember smirked cheekily, letting out an 'aha' sound when her phone beeped with Caroline's reply.

"Hardy harr," Lexi drawled out good-naturedly, "But seriously, how did you know that spell?" Ember and Elena had already explained the Cliff Notes version of her being a witch and the magical community and swore Lexi to secrecy upon entering the Boarding House, before the discovery of Stefan being an old man.

Driving cautiously toward the Grill, Ember replied, "I already told you about the wizarding world… there are magical species of vampires, and one of the very few similarities your type seem to share are that they too, burn under the sunlight. All the other wizarding communities, except for the British one, don't discriminate and so they created many potions and spells exclusively for magical creatures, one of them being a temporary access to walk during the day, and one of my best friends is a half-vampire so I learned a few things, but now that I know more vampires, I'm gonna have to brush up on some spells to aid you guys."

Lexi smiled fondly, her face radiating like the sun. "I'm so glad I know you, and I'm thankful Stefan befriended you. Be careful, I might try to keep you all to myself!" she jokingly warned.

" _Orrr_ you and your beau can just move into town. Just saying," Ember shrugged; suddenly, her eyes widened and with no warning whatsoever, she slammed on the brakes upon noticing Damon harassing Caroline not far away, "What the hell is he doing?" she snarled, jumping out of the car with Lexi not far behind.

Damon's eyes widened comically once he noticed that Lexi was out during the day, and he gaped at her, forgetting Caroline for a moment, who had immediately latched on to Ember's side, "How the hell did you manage to walk out during daylight?"

"Um, moi! Hello, witch in the house! What do you think I can do? Parlor tricks?" Ember drawled out. Her eyes then narrowed and Damon gulped audibly, " _What,_ may I ask are you doing around Caroline? I do recall myself explicitly warning you to _stay. Away. From. Her!_ "

"Of course; I knew the reason I couldn't compel her had to be because of you," Damon sneered.

"Guilty," Ember sang out, "What do you want Salvatore? When will you learn to stop threatening my friends?"

Damon shrugged nonchalantly, morphing his face into an expression fake innocence, "I just wanted to _suggest_ to Blondie here to make a party at the Grill, you know, go all out for Stefan's birthday."

Lexi nodded enthusiastically, "I can't believe I'm agreeing with Damon, but that's actually a great idea."

"You don't have to compel yourself some minions, Damon, all you had to do was ask. But heed my warning, you try anything skeevy, and I won't hesitate in maiming you, and believe me, this time, I'll make sure the pain sticks! Come on Lex, Care-Bear, let's head back to the lovebirds' nest," Ember beckoned, leaving behind a frustrated yet nervous vampire.

* * *

"So, you called Tiki and Amy to plan a birthday bash for Stefan?" Elena giggled, "Stefan's gonna hate you for that."

After Ember parted Damon with a 'kind' warning, the three girls headed back to the Salvatore Boarding House and Caroline and Lexi instantly connected, transforming their relationship from strangers to firm friends. Elena then rejoined the girls and the three best friends were currently congregated in Elena's room, leaving Stefan and Lexi some alone time to reconnect before the party at the Grill.

"You should have seen Damon's face when he was unable to compel me," Caroline guffawed, "Totally priceless!"

Ember shook her head in a mixture of amusement and exasperation, "One would think with the amount of times I threatened Damon Salvatore, he'd have learned his lesson by now, and left you guys alone."

Elena pierced her twin and the blonde with a solemn gaze, "You know he's definitely going to try something, right? I mean, Damon vowed Stefan an _'eternity of misery_ ', there's no way he wanted a party to be arranged out of the _goodness of his heart_."

"Don't worry about that, Laney. You, Care-Bear, Stefan and Lexi stick together, leave Damon-Watch for the witch extraordinaire. Besides," an evil look etched itself onto Ember's face, prompting Elena and Caroline to lean forward in curiosity, "I may have, probably, possibly placed a tracking charm on Damon when we ditched him by the road. One can never be too careful," she winked, eliciting the girls to burst out into uproarious laughter.

"Knock, knock," Bonnie's familiar voice resounded from the doorway, and the door to Elena's room opened, her smiling face peeking in.

"BONNIE!" the girls cheered; Bonnie grinned and wasted no time in jumping atop Elena's bed, joining the girls in a tight fit. "Bonnie, where have you been? We've been calling you nonstop for days," Elena asked softly.

Bonnie sighed sadly, her hazel eyes scrutinizing her three best friends since diapers, "I know I've been MIA, but I've been … going through some things, and-, okay, I need to swear you three to secrecy."

Ember, Elena and Caroline traded clandestine looks; they had a huge suspicion that it was about Bonnie finally believing herself to be a Servant of Nature witch, just like Ember discovered when she went to meet up with her friend Anya at Liberty Lane and dutifully informed the other girls. They nodded and vowed secrecy in a unified demeanor and Bonnie's face threatened to split in half as she beamed at them.

"Okay," Bonnie grabbed one of Elena's fluffy pillows and ripped it apart, empting the pillowcase of all its feathers; Elena would have groaned, moaned and complained, but she knew that Ember could easily repair it with a lazy flick of her wand. "There are no windows open, right?" she asked.

"Right," Caroline chirped excitedly; she was curious to see how Bonnie's magic differed from Ember's.

"There's no fan. No air conditioning," Bonnie continued with a secretive smile.

"None," Ember and Elena droned in a monotone.

Bonnie wiggled her fingers and squared her shoulders, "Grams just showed me this. You're gonna love it. You ready?" Upon receiving three unified and enthusiastic nods in response, Bonnie lifted a hand, and then the other, causing the feathers to levitate in the air, and soon enough, every single feather began twirling around the three astonished girls.

"It's true you guys," Bonnie's exclaimed happily, "Everything my Grams told me. It's impossible and it's true. I'm a witch!" Although Bonnie's portrayal of her magic was child play in regards to Ember, it was still an incredible feat for a Servant of Nature, and a novice one at that, and the three girls were excited that their best friend was finally accepting her roots.

Caroline giggled, "You know what's funny? How we used to joke around about you being psychic, when you're an actual witch."

While Ember and Elena laughed at the irony, Bonnie smiled weakly, and unsurely asked, "You don't think I'm a freak now, do you?"

"NO!" they exclaimed, horror-struck. Ember grabbed Bonnie's hand, and calmly said, "Bon-Bon, you have a gift. Use it, learn from it, nurture it, but don't shy away from it and abandon it, kay?" Bonnie smiled teary-eyed, before engulfing the three girls in a suffocating hug.

Almost hesitantly, Elena asked the million dollar question, "Hey, Bon. If your Grams asked you to keep all this a secret, why did you tell us?" Ember and Caroline stiffened, and stared Bonnie down, awaiting her response. Bonnie merely shrugged, and gave them all a 'you're stupid' look, "You guys are my best friends. I can't keep secrets from you."

Guilt churned in Ember's stomach, and she chuckled nervously, "Right, yeah, of course." Elena and Caroline looked equally guilty, and they knew that soon enough, the three of them would have to spill all their secrets. It was not fair of them to keep Bonnie in the dark any longer.

* * *

"Are you here to keep an eye on me? Kind of stalkerish of you, to be honest," Damon smirked, edging closer to Ember, doing some sexy eye-flicker thing as he stared at her intensely.

Ember rolled her eyes and inwardly groaned; she left Elena and Caroline with Stefan and Lexi, offering herself up as Damon-Bait and a distraction, at least until his motives for having a party was discovered. Unfortunately, Ember couldn't even last a minute, without feeling the urgent need to bash her skull against the wall and drown herself in José and Smirnoff.

"Damon, if you're trying to flirt with me, then you better throw in the towel, 'cause I ain't buying it, not even for a second," Ember drawled out, crossing her arms for effect.

"Shame. I would have rocked your world," he quipped in retort. "How about you do me a favor and grab that pretty crystal necklace from Bonnie's witchy neck, hmm?" he suggested coquettishly.

Ember's face morphed into a sinister smile, and she spoke up in a sugary sweet tone that promised pain, "Only if you grab a perfectly carved wooden stake and shove it into your heart."

Damon scowled, but kept his smile firmly in place, "Yeah, that's not gonna happen, Little Red."

"Ditto," Ember retorted scathingly, ignoring the annoying nickname Damon bestowed her; huffing out loud, she turned her back on him and retreated to the bar, "Donnie, pass me two shots of tequila."

Donnie, the bartender, who had a gigantic crush on the redheaded Gilbert, smirked flirtatiously and reiterated her regular order that was engrained in his memory, "Extra salt, lemon on the side. Got it!"

"You're not of legal age to be drinking," a husky British voice remarked from beside her, and Ember whipped around, emerald eyes nearly bulging at the hot redhead she _literally_ bumped into at the Halloween party.

Donnie surreptitiously passed her the two shots of sweet welcoming José and she winked at him, "Thanks Don." Eyeing the redhead slyly, Ember knocked back both shots without pause and without wincing at the acidic taste against her throat, seductively sucking into the lemon wedges and inwardly applauding herself when the sexy redhead's sapphire eyes dilated with lust, his orbs unable to detach themselves from her invitingly plump lips that were painted rouge.

"Who's going to tell?" Ember coyly remarked to his previous statement, "Anyways, I usually make it a habit of getting strange boys' names when they come up and talk to me. Ember Gilbert." Of course, Ember already knew that the dude was one of the wizards from Britain, probably related to the two Weasley kids, but hey – Ember strived to be polite.

"Bill Weasley, but… you already knew that, didn't you?" Bill smirked shrewdly.

Ember shrugged, faking ennui, "Maybe yes, maybe no. I guessed you were a Weasley due to the hair and the obvious shrieking of Ginny Weasley when she jumped into your arms, I just didn't know your name."

"Hmm. I like you. You're not afraid to speak your mind. Kind of ballsy," Bill informed her, his eyes scrutinizing her intensely.

"I try. So, Bill Weasley, how long are you staying in Mystic Falls? Or are you here to endeavor convincing me to fight off your little Dark Lord, too?" the last question was asked with a load of disdain, and Ember half-glared at the handsome wizard.

Bill held both hands up in a surrendering gesture, "I'm here to visit my youngest siblings, and maybe transfer to the American community. I'm a Curse Breaker for Gringotts; I might get transferred to the American division and be closer to Ron and Gin. I've nothing to do with Dumbledore's plan in convincing you to end the war."

"Well, I approve. If you need any help, I've many connections-" Ember was cut off, her jaw slackening and eyes widening in a mixture of fear and rage when she heard a tumultuous uproar from behind, witnessing Sherriff Forbes lead a vervained Lexi outside with her deputies. Bill tried grasping her attention, but she was distracted, her eyes scoping the premises, narrowing when she saw a smug Damon disappear from the Grill, and a worried Stefan, Elena and Caroline race out through the backdoor.

Without sparing the sexy wizard another glance, Ember quickly barked out, "Bill, I'm sorry, I gotta-, I gotta go. It was nice talking to you!"

"Wait!" But Ember was already running halfway out the Grill.

" _No_!" she screamed, but Stefan quickly held her back, tears welling in his eyes as he watched the scene play out in front of him. A weakened Lexi was held on both sides by two deputies, and Sheriff Forbes had her gun trained on her; but what enraged Ember the most, was Damon Salvatore strutting forward with a fake look of concentration on his face, a wooden stake held firmly in his hand, and the pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place.

Damon was turning Lexi into a scapegoat; that way the Founder's Council wouldn't be suspicious about the vampire killings and place the blame all on Lexi … well, not on her damn watch. Ember effectively yanked her wrist from Stefan's grip, and moved forward.

"Stefan, relax. Em knows what she's doing. Trust her," Elena soothed him.

" _Petrificus Totalus!_ " Ember shouted out, her wand aimed directly at Damon who froze, just as the stake was a hairsbreadth from striking Lexi's heart. And like a marionette with its strings cut off, Damon dropped down onto the ground with a loud _thud_.

Liz gaped at Ember, eyes wide with fear and confusion, "Ember, what, why, how- _what are you_?"

"I'm really sorry, Aunt Liz," Ember uttered, but there was no remorse in her words as she swiftly and expertly cast the _Petrificus Totlatus_ hex on her, and the two deputies. "Stefan, come here. Get Lexi out of here and to the Boarding House. Elena, Caroline, I'll apparate and meet you there."

They wordlessly obeyed her orders, knowing by now not to interfere or argue with Ember when she was in professional mode and in a volatile temper. Once Stefan and the rest left with Lexi safely ensconced, Ember pointed her wand and began to obliterate Sheriff Forbes and the two deputies, placing false memories of Damon staking a _male_ vampire with blonde hair, instead of Lexi and forgetting about her interference.

She then reversed the Full Body-Bind Curse, grabbed the immobile Damon and disapparated right in front of the Salvatore's front door, inwardly cursing herself when she heard uproarious gasps resounding from behind her. Turning around, she glared at the Potters, Blacks and Weasleys – including Bill, who must have apparated when she ditched him, who were all gaping at her in shock, their eyes flickering from her furious visage to the cursed vampire.

"Ember-"

"I thought I warned you all not to communicate with me," Ember interrupted James' next words, knocking loudly on the Salvatore's front door, "Stay out of my business. I'm warning you!"

Stefan opened the door, and it was obvious that the broody vampire was struggling with an inner battle; on one hand, he was glad that Ember didn't kill his older brother, but on the other hand, he wanted to murder Damon for trying to kill his best friend.

Ember nodded at Stefan neutrally, and waved her hand, wandlessly levitating Damon into the house; ignoring the healed Lexi, smug Elena, concerned Caroline and worried yet incensed Stefan, Ember marched down to the basement and reversed the curse on Damon.

"What the hell kind of witchy voodoo crap was that," Damon snarled, flexing his muscles after the disturbing sensation of being transported from the Grill to the Boarding House.

Ember flicked her hand, hurling Damon onto the wall with a resounding thud, "I talk. You listen. I added artificial memories into Sheriff Forbes and her deputies' minds. They believe you killed a blonde _male_ vampire, and not Lexi. They won't remember Lexi at all, not even my interference."

"Why?" Damon frowned, his brows knitting into confusion, "Why help me?"

"Your plan has merit, as much as I hate to admit. But you chose to play it out all _wrong_. I warned you not to harm anyone I cared about. I mean, damnit Damon, what the hell is _wrong_ with you? I don't know how you'd be able to sleep at night, and look at yourself in the mirror, knowing that you killed your brother's best friend? That makes you an abominable sort of monster. _I warned you_ ," Ember snarled.

Damon's eyes widened when Ember pointed her wand at him and deftly made a swishing motion, slicing a deep gouge into his stomach, " _Accio Kidneys!_ " Damon let out an ear-splitting and excruciating scream as his kidneys were ripped out of his anatomy, and across the room.

"I'll leave it to you to sort your innards out. I've heard it is an excruciatingly painful two days of waiting for organs to regrow. Or perhaps you can cut yourself open and place them back in. Toodles, Damon. It's been a pleasure."

And the redheaded Gilbert left the vampire to slump on the floor in agony. Entering the living room, a blonde bullet collided against her, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you for saving me, and by the way, what you did to Damon down there … you're right! You ARE _completely_ badass!"

"Oh, stop it, you're making me blush," Ember mock-tittered, acting abashed. "Elena let's go home. Care-Bear, you're sleeping over, and I ain't taking no for an answer. Stefano, Damon will be back to new in two days, he just won't be having a pep in his step," she smirked. "Lex, plans for tomorrow, m'kay. Ba-bye!"

The three girls walked out, leaving behind two highly amused vampires. Caroline scooched over to Ember's side, "Em, can I drive?" she batted her eyelashes for effect, and Elena scoffed, "That's a pointless mission, Care, don't even try."

"Listen to the girl, Care-Bear, nobody is driving my baby," Ember smirked, opening the car door, but before she could slide in, James Potter and Sirius Black cleared out their throats, staring expectantly at her. Groaning, Ember turned to face them, "May I help you gentlemen with something?"

"Ember, we're just… worried. You used magic on a Muggle," Sirius said softly, trying to convey with his eyes that he wasn't looking for a fight.

"And it's none of your business. Look Black, Potter, what I do, is _none_ of your business. My friends know about me and my magic. I suggest you and your family fuck off and leave me the hell alone, because I am done trying to be courteous with you folks, and I _demand_ that you leave me alone."

James sighed forlornly, "We just want to get to know you. Please, give me a chance. Give _us_ , a chance."

Ember sneered at them and leaned forward, hissing with as much malice as she could muster, "You had a chance before you threw me away like garbage in the middle of night. _You lost your chance_. You've made your bed, now _lie in it_. Don't come to me for absolution."

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Lexi Branson – Arielle Kebbel**_

 _ **Liz Forbes – Marguerite Maclntyre**_

 _ **Bill Weasley – Chris Hemsworth**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **How did you like this chapter? It was kind of long BUT! To all you Lexi Branson fans out there … I saved her!**

 **Did you enjoy the Lexi Bonding with the Mystic Falls inhabitants? I am sorry there wasn't much Gilbert bonding, but Jeremy is currently grieving over Vicki's death.**

 **Also, for Damon Lovers out there, don't worry it won't be 100% bashing. But I had to teach Damon a lesson – he always acts first and thinks later …**

 **Did you like Ember's badassiness? And the Bill/Ember moment? And how Ember saved Lexi?!**

 **R &R. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 10:**

Jenna Sommers, legendary in Mystic Falls as the most awesome and laidback aunt, slash, guardian, to have ever walked the earth, tiptoed en route to her desired destination, armed with a digital camera for a specific purpose. Peeking into Jeremy's room, she was pleased to see that her nephew was already getting dressed for school. If only she could say the same about her nieces.

Opening Ember's bedroom door silently, Jenna stealthily stood in front of the bed, unable to contain her lips from curving into a fond yet mischievous smirk at the comedic scene laid out before her; Ember was positioned in the middle, her crimson curls splayed wildly over her head like a halo, her right arm hovering over her eyes while her left arm was settled on Caroline's forehead who was huddled into a tight ball, both hands dangling down the bed, mouth opened in a circle with a line of drool clinging onto the bed sheet and her tushy elevated slightly in the air, held by Ember's thigh. Elena, on the other hand posed to be a conundrum. Jenna gaped at the brunette, mystified over how her niece managed to turn in her sleep until her face was positioned beside Ember's feet, and her feet was a hairsbreadth away from the redhead's face.

Shaking her head to herself, she batted away the amusement that was threatening to erupt. Jenna knew that this was a memory that needed to be beheld in the future and framed proudly in the living room, and so, she held out the camera, aptly aimed the lens and then surreptitiously clicked twice, savoring the three teenagers' hilarious reactions. The resounding click, and the bright flash of light in the semi-darkened room managed to elicit three distinguished yelps; Caroline tumbled out of the bed, falling onto the ground flat on her face; Ember's both hands outstretched into a defensive stance, succeeding in pushing a bewildered Elena, who yelped loudly, off the bed, joining the blonde on the floor, and the redhead, well, she glared at her guffawing aunt in quasi-anger.

"What ha-… _ppened_ ," Jeremy trailed off as he took in the comedic scene, his chocolate brown orbs traveling from the three disgruntled girls, to Jenna who had tears of laughter rapidly flowing down her face.

Rubbing her bruised tushy, Elena shot up to her feet and glared at Jenna, "What was _that_ for?!"

Clapping her hands energetically, Jenna declared in a singsong tone, "Chop-Chop! You're going to be late for school. You insisted on partying last night, so all three of you shall reap the consequences."

"By scaring us to death? Yeah, _Aunt_ Jenna, I can totally feel the love," Ember drawled sarcastically as she agitatedly mussed her crimson locks upon locating a few strands of curls tangled together from sleep. Jenna merely placed both hands on her hips and smirked, "Well, what I _do_ know, is that there are _three_ of you, and _one_ bathroom. Hurry up or you'll be late!"

And with those _optimistic_ parting words, Jenna and a sniggering Jeremy departed, leaving behind three grumpy, sullen and cranky girls. Finally getting off the ground, Caroline scowled good-naturedly and huffed, "I think we need to relinquish Jenna's title of Awesome Guardian, 'cause what she did was _plain_ _evil_."

Half an hour later which included three subsequent cold showers, the fully dressed Ember, Elena and Caroline were sitting by the island in the kitchen, greedily slurping wondrous coffee. Jenna casually strutted past them with a cheeky grin, unable to help but quip, "Wow, concealer does wonders for those dark circles you three are profoundly sporting."

Glaring in ample dissatisfaction, Ember growled, "Aunt Jenna, we've got three words for you," Caroline and Elena joined in, and the trio solemnly chanted, " _Vengeance is sweet!_ "

"Alright, alright, I get it, I'm _shaking_ ," Jenna rolled her eyes, "Off with you lot, go on, school awaits."

Grumbling loudly, the three girls trudged outside towards Ember's car, an amused Jeremy shadowing them and clambering into the backseat with Caroline. Ember and Elena traded identical glances, recognizing that part of their aunt's devious action was to cheer up Jeremy from Vicki's untimely and horrific death, and they could see from Jeremy's cheerful visage that it worked.

 _So maybe they'd give Jenna a free pass… just this once._

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Do you ever get the certain feeling like something is about to go amiss?_

 _If I were to try and construct a sentence based on my peculiar frame of mind, I'd say that I am having an ominous feeling of foreboding. Frustration consumes me as I try and decipher the oddity. It's like, there is this huge and dark shadow looming over my bed as I currently write this gloomy entry and I am at a complete loss over what to do._

 _To dampen the mood and try a shot in writing a verse of morbid poetry: the dark omen surrounds the mortals and the immortals, the saints and the sinners, those who knew peace and those in torment, and tonight shall begin at a dark hour filled with augury and alarm; dismal and dread._

 _Something is_ _ **blocking**_ _me from confiding in Jenna, Elena, Jeremy, Caroline and even Stefan or_ _ **Damon**_ _of all people. But then again, how am I supposed to decrypt this damn feeling of mine; 'hey, Laney, Jer, Care, not to worry you or anything, but guess what? For some reason, I feel Death is stalking me. No, not the Grim Reaper, not some black-hooded skeleton with a scythe … but the actual embodiment of Death, looming nearby and waiting for the correct time to strike.'_

 _Yeah, even with the knowledge of me being a witch, there being a magical community in every freakin' country around the globe, the existence of unicorns, dragons and giants, and the new supernatural species we just unearthed lurking about in our idyllic town; I would_ _ **still**_ _be sent to the loony bin as the newest nut-job._

 _I am at a colossal loss over what to do … my magic is crackling forebodingly from my veins, warning me to beware and to stay in crowded areas, but there is so much I can do, so long I can avoid, before the inevitable finally catches up to me. I don't mean to be depressing, but I can only spill out my guts into my diary … I don't want to worry my loved ones, nor do I want to be stared at weirdly in fear of me falling apart._

 _Elena would try to understand. Gosh, Laney is my twin sister, my other half, my best friend … but she has no power over this higher being lurking nearby, shadowing my every movement, and … for the first time since discovering I am a witch, I will admit …_ _ **I am scared… terrified to death,**_ _which is ironic since I feel it in my magic, that Death is haunting me._

 _I am healthy, I am strong, I am powerful, and I am confident in my magic._

 _I_ _ **will**_ _survive this!_

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

"Em? You okay?" Elena's concerned voice spoke up from the doorway; bewildered, Ember snapped her head up. She had let her guard down while she wrote the latest entry in her diary, and was surprised to feel a few stray tears run down her cheek, garnering the concern of her twin. Wiping them away, she forced a winning grin and tucked her diary away, "Totes, just thinking about mom and dad. C'mon, we're gonna be late for school."

Elena nodded, visibly pleased and Ember felt a stab of guilt over lying to her twin and using her parents' unfortunate demise as an excuse. Shaking away the all-consuming guilt, Ember grabbed her purse and yanked Elena away from her room. Ember was adamant in keeping her methodical hyperactive disposition in order to keep her loved ones in the dark and away from danger.

 _It was, after all, for their own good._

Arriving at school, the twins looped arms with Caroline, noticing their recently discovered witchy friend was AWOL again. Caroline sighed, thinking along the same lines, "Bonnie texted me last night, apparently Damon recovered from your little torture session, Em, and he's hasn't stopped harassing her over that damn crystal necklace."

Huffing in frustration, Ember shrugged, "As long as he doesn't harm her, I'm staying out of it. Bonnie has to fight her own battles otherwise she'd be easy prey." Elena nodded in agreement, though the blonde still looked uncertain.

Upon entering the history classroom, the three best friends made a beeline to their fourth nervous quarter and flashed her reassuring looks. The unfortunate fact, was that Bonnie was still in the dark, and completely oblivious over the fact that a _vampire_ was actually hounding her … Ember couldn't help but wonder over _when_ exactly Sheila Bennett was planning on relaying the tidbit of important information to the novice witch.

"Good morning everyone," a jubilant voice spoke up and Ember looked up to see a ruggedly handsome man who appeared to be in his late twenties, early thirties, with friendly hazel orbs, a strong jaw, straight light brown hair and a kind disposition. The aura radiating from him was pure, and Ember's magic purred in harmony, relaxing the redhead entirely.

Alaric Saltzman, their new History teacher gained Ember Gilbert's Stamp of Approval, and she instantly imparted her thoughts to Elena and Caroline, both of whom sighed in relief; at least they wouldn't have another Douche like Tanner – god bless him, or a murderous vampire in disguise with less than savory intentions.

"Where's Stefan?" Bonnie asked after History class; the four best friends were currently sitting in their regular lunch table outdoors, their heads bowed together conspiratorially. Elena's whole mien changed into one of palpable happiness, "He decided to skip and spend some alone time with Lexi before she leaves town to her boyfriend."

Bonnie nodded, and to the other girls' confusion, began checking her surrounding in a state of paranoia. Once reassured at the lack of eavesdroppers, she started to talk in hushed tones, "I've been having these … _dreams_. My ancestor, Emily Bennett has been haunting me." In excruciating detail, Bonnie relayed her dreams, A.K.A, night terrors, to the flabbergasted trio, "…And then, I ended up at the remains of the old Fell's Church before I woke up back in the woods."

"And you always see your ancestor Emily?" Elena articulated, double-checking for the sake of comprehension. Bonnie nodded in fright, biting her lower lip in consternation, "Mhm. Do you-, you're going to think I'm crazy, but, do you believe in ghosts?"

Much to the dark-haired girl's palpable shock and surprise, Ember, Elena and Caroline simultaneously replied in utmost conviction, "Yes." After all, unbeknownst to Bonnie, Ember divulged to the other two about the many ghosts she conversed with in her world. The wizarding communities reeked with ghosts; the tangible fear of death and what lay ahead in the afterlife resuscitated the mortals' corpses into a ghostly specter, becoming a permanent imprint of themselves after death and maintaining their personalities, cursed to roam amongst the living until the end of time.

Bonnie stared at them in mounting suspicion, prompting the redhead to massage her temples wearily; they really must come clean with the novice witch… _and_ _soon_.

Changing the subject imperceptibly, Caroline whispered, "But, _why_ Emily?"

Forgetting her suspicion, Bonnie shrugged obliviously, "Grams said she was a powerful witch back in the Civil War days, and that this medallion was hers. A witch's talisman."

Ember nodded in recognition; a talisman could be any object, archetypally an inscribed ring or stone for more magical potency, charmed with magic powers to bring good luck or protect its wearer. Talismans were very popular during times of war, and were sold in the bulk in the myriads of wizarding districts. Emily Bennett must have created the crystal necklace, spelling her own brand of nature magic into it, passed down from generation to generation of Bennett witches for protection. The question was; _why did Damon initially have it?_

"What does Grams say about … _it_?" Ember fixed Bonnie with a disapproving stare as recognition flashed in her emerald orbs, "You _didn't_ tell her?! ... _Bonnie!_ "

"I _can't_ , Em! She's gonna tell me to _embrace_ it. I _don't_ _want to_ embrace it, I want it to _stop_!" Bonnie snapped indignantly, receiving three unified eye rolls and disappointed shaking of the heads from the trio, simultaneously.

The last classes of the day ended; Ember, Elena and Caroline trekked over to the parking lot to meet up with Bonnie and plan the finishing touches of their Girls Night In, however things rarely went as planned, and the trio paused in their destination when they sighted Damon confronting Bonnie in a heated argument. Although they weren't able to overhear a word, it was pretty obvious that the volatile vampire was demanding she return the crystal necklace to him.

" _Ugh_ , can't Damon take a hint already?!" Caroline snapped, but just as she took a small step forward to defend Bonnie, Ember yanked her backwards, and shook her head adamantly, "Care-Bear, we can't keep fighting Bonnie's fights." To the blonde's desolation, Elena nodded in fervent agreement with her twin, "Em is right, Care. Bonnie has to stand up for herself. Damon won't be the first vampire she meets, and we won't always be there to protect her."

Coincidentally, a gust of wind slammed against Ember's form and she shivered imperceptibly, the sensation of being doused in glacial water consuming her, and the foreboding sensation of contagion trickling down her spine. Ember huddled into Elena's side and hugged herself, just as her emerald orbs met inquisitive electric blues in an intense stare.

Paranoia of the enigmatic shadow lingering around her friends, Ember detached herself from Elena and Caroline's side and forced a merry smile, "Laney, Care, I just remembered, I have something that needs taking care of. You two get a ride with Bonnie, kay? And oh," turning around to face twin bewildered miens, Ember added as an afterthought, "Pick up Lexi from the Boarding House, I invited her too! Ciao!"

* * *

For the past half an hour, Ember had been delaying her next course of action by pacing frantically around the terrace in front of her house in dizzying footsteps until the irritating vertigo sensation engulfed her. Deciding that she had avoided well enough already, the vibrant redhead squared her shoulders and strolled confidently toward the neighbor's house which was situated directly in front of the Gilbert Residence. Breathing in a sharp intake of breath, knowing that there was no going back anymore, Ember firmly knocked on the front door, and only had to wait a moment before it opened and she came face-to-face with a younger version of Sirius Black from the wavy midnight hair to the enthralling silver-gray eyes.

"Uh, can I … _help_ you?" Leo Black asked hesitantly in a strong British lilt, a suspicious and bewildered glint entering his eyes; Ember couldn't blame him, she had persistently made herself abundantly clear that she wanted _nothing_ to do with the Brits, and here she was, knocking on their front door, instigating a confrontation.

Smiling at the younger boy, though it probably appeared more as a grimace, Ember cordially asked, "Is your father in?" But before Leo could respond to the disorienting conundrum, Sirius Black himself appeared by the doorway, having had overheard the musical nuance of his antagonistic goddaughter, and was currently staring at her in a mixture of hope and confusion.

"Ember, come in," Sirius smiled pleasantly, gesturing for his son to leave and opening the door wider. Ember's grimace became more pronounced and she adamantly shook her head, "Uh, no, I'm not staying for long. Look, I don't mean to be rude or get your hopes up or anything, but this isn't a social call."

Sighing desolately, Sirius grudgingly nodded and closed the front door behind him before waving his hand toward the veranda. Making sure to keep a distance from the redhead, lest he scared her off, Sirius spoke up, "Then what can I do for you, Ember?"

Trying to muster up all the courage that was currently betraying her, Ember tucked a loose crimson strand behind her ear, and bravely held eye-contact with enthralling silver-gray eyes that held quantitative knowledge and a smidge of darkness, "When I attended Ilvermorny, I took an interest in genealogy back then when I was curious about the identity of my biological parents." Sirius winced perceptibly, but kept silent and motioned for Ember to continue, "And uh, I stumbled upon the Noble and most Ancient House of Black. Your lineage is notoriously dark, and dabbled in the unforgiving Magicks of Dark and Black magic… until you, of course, but that's beside the point-"

Sirius' lips quirked in amusement and he interrupted his goddaughter's nervous ramblings, " _Ember_. What do you need from me exactly? Definitely not to reeducate me of my _wonderful_ family," he sneered sarcastically.

Ember could feel a lot of hostility toward his family, and decided to avoid that forbidden topic. Grabbing the bull by its horns, Ember blurted out, "What can you tell me about Death?"

Dark eyebrows rose magnanimously, Sirius Black never expected such an enigmatic question to be emitted from his goddaughter's mouth, and he couldn't help but dumbly repeat in bafflement, "Death?"

Swallowing the huge lump that took dwelling in her throat, Ember emphatically nodded and clarified her precise meaning, "I don't mean the No-Maj personification of Death like the Grim Reaper, or Hades God of the Underworld. I mean- … What is the Magical Community's uptake on the mythus of Death; the magical perspective to be exact."

Sirius' eyebrows knitted together in palpable confusion as he scrutinized the teenager's mien. She was dead-serious; her expression betrayed no mockery. "Why are you coming to me with this?"

"Honestly?" Ember enunciated slowly, only to receive a vigorous nod in response from her breathtakingly gorgeous dark-haired godfather, "Like I said before, your ancestry is notoriously dark. I have heard countless of stories about the infamous Black Library and the many secrets it harbored, and since _the_ Lord Black lives ten seconds away from me, I figured it to be very profitable for my sake, ya know, compared to fruitlessly searching through Liberty Lane."

Sirius let out a bark-like laughter, and if Ember were being honest with herself, the sound filled her with familial and nurturing warmth, but she batted the unsolicited feeling away, reminding herself that Sirius Black conspired with the Potters in tossing her away like yesterday's trash. Musing over his next words, Sirius carefully articulated, "I won't lie to you, Ember, but I didn't share the same fascination as my _family_ over the darkest books in the library. _But_ the only lore of Death in our community is from the Tale of the Three Brothers-"

" _Beedle the Bard_ ," Ember gasped aloud, recalling one of her favorite books sitting idly in her room regarding a collection of stories for young witches and wizards; the magical version of Fairy Tales. Sirius nodded, but before he could enunciate another word, the familiar voice of his best friend rang out in evident shock, "Sirius-, _Ember_?"

In the blink of an eye, the cordial assembly between godfather and goddaughter reached fruition. Ember's stance changed discernably and she shot up to her feet, barely sparing a glance at her biological father, "Thank you, Mr. Black. You have been a great help-"

"Ember please, stay for a bit, talk to me- to us," James pleaded.

Sighing in annoyance, Ember instigated eye-contact with James Potter and found the entire Brady Bunch congregated around him. Lily and Violet Potter gazed at her imploringly; Harold Potter glared at her angrily while Hermione and the Weasleys stared back impassively, with the exception of Bill, whose eyes noticeably lit up upon seeing her. However, before Ember could avoid them further, her eyes connected once again with intense electric blues, and never before had she felt gratitude toward Damon Salvatore … _until now._

"Excuse me," she muttered, stubbornly bypassing the unyielding Brits and making a beeline toward the elder Salvatore who was smugly smirking at her from the terrace, "Damon, here for round two?"

Ignoring the redhead's cheeky quip, Damon kept his eyes focused on the group of Brits, never once averting eye-contact, "Friends of yours?"

"Either you say what you came here to say, or leave, Damon. I'm in no mood," Ember snarled through gritted teeth. Damon nodded and patted the empty seat beside him; huffing indignantly, Ember ignored the audience congregated in the terrace of the Black Residence and glared inquisitively at the volatile vampire.

"Throughout the two days of unbearable pain, I've been thinking over my actions, and I have reached a conclusion. Instead of going through my schemes alone and ending up in excruciating pain, I should just come to you," finally tearing his eyes way from the myriad of curious eyes, Damon faced Ember solemnly; "I need your help."

Crimson eyebrows rose in surprise, yet to the Salvatore's immense astonishment and secretive gratitude, she didn't throw around any derogatory remarks or mocking words. Instead she nodded and matter-of-factly said, "It's about Bonnie's necklace isn't it? The talisman belonging to Emily Bennett that you somehow had in your possession…"

Snorting without humor, Damon smirked, "Of course. I won't even bother to ask how you're so omniscient. I'm going to just go out and say it before the flock of estrogen arrives for your little get together." Inhaling a sharp intake of breath, Damon started his diatribe, "Back in 1864, Emily Bennett and I made a deal; the woman I love, my sire, Katherine, was caught amongst the other 26 vampires who lived in this town by the Founding Families. At my request, Emily used a celestial event to draw energy into that talisman and gave the crystal power to keep her safe in the tomb. The-"

Ember interrupted with a gasp of sudden realization, " _The comet_! Despite the popular belief, you didn't really return to Mystic Falls to make Stefan's life a living hell, you returned because the comet passes once every 145 years… which coincidentally happened to be _this_ year!"

"Exactly," Damon nodded, impressed with her quick deduction skills, "The deal was, Emily protects Katherine, who is currently desiccated for 145 years in the tomb under Fell's Church, and in return, I promised her lineage would survive and that I would protect them to the utmost of my ability. _That_ is why I didn't take the easy way out and kill Bonnie for the necklace."

"You want me to return the Bennett talisman to liberate Katherine from the tomb," Ember stated; they were engulfed in a comfortable silence while Ember pondered over Damon's genuine honesty and his plight, and to Damon's mounting surprise, she nodded, "I'll help you. I promise."

Taken aback by the conviction in the redhead's words, a nonplussed Damon asked, "Why? Why would you help me? A vampire you've been threatening since the very beginning and one you made no secret of hating?"

Ember smiled benignly, "Something you should know about me Damon is that I feel compassion toward every living being with redeeming qualities. I hold no prejudice like those judgmental servants of nature. Emily negotiated with you, and struck a deal. You've kept your word, and she has no right to back out of hers, no matter the consequences… she should have thought of the penalty of her agreement _before_ she made one with you. In my world, when two individuals partake in an agreement, in a vow, the words are binding and should not be taken lightly. So yes, I will help you, but we do it _my_ way, Damon. I don't want to add more to the death count."

The patent smirk returned and Damon genuinely said, "Thank you." Curious about her odd wording when she said 'her world', Damon decided to let it go for now and stood up to leave, remembering the promise he made to his pesky brother about meeting up at the Grill for a night of 'brotherly bonding'. But before he indiscreetly left, Ember called after him, "By the way Salvatore. I don't _hate_ you, I just don't like the way you do things."

As Damon deposited himself on the empty stool beside his younger brother, the volatile vampire finally understood why exactly many people were drawn to the enigmatic redhead who held such potent power.

* * *

Girls Night In was supposed to be a reprieve from the outside world, and especially a break from the myriad of supernatural quandaries, unfortunately, Murphy's Law applied, 'anything that _can_ go wrong, _will_ go wrong.' Instead, of commencing a romantic comedy marathon with a large buffet of popcorn, chocolate, candy and Ben and Jerry's, the five girls were adding the finishing touches for a miserable séance, a _horrible_ idea from Caroline Truly, so that they could question Emily about the talisman.

Ember didn't have a chance to convey to Elena, Caroline and Lexi the exact reason _why_ Damon was adamant in gaining the necklace, and _why_ Emily was haunting Bonnie. After Ember detached herself from her friends at school, Bonnie threw the talisman out the window and into the abyss of a field, yet the necklace magically returned to its rightful place in Bonnie's bag.

The idea of summoning the dead turned Ember's insides and the eerie foreboding sensation that haunted her all day increased, yet the redhead was dismally outnumbered; that was how Ember Gilbert found herself sitting between Elena and Lexi in a candle-lit circle, and as Bonnie took pointers from Caroline and appropriately beckoned Emily, the flames flared stronger.

"You guys, I don't like this," Ember warily muttered, her emerald orbs nervously scoping the room. The words barely left Ember's mouth when the windows burst open with a resounding crash and the lights dimmed completely, engulfing the five girls in pitch blackness.

"I can't," Bonnie yelled, panicking hysterically. In a random bout of folly, the novice servant of nature grabbed the talisman wounded around her neck and ripped it off, blindly tossing it into the circle. "Get the lights! _Get the damn lights!_ " she screamed. With Lexi's sharp acuity, she flashed over to the switch and turned on the lights, her chocolate brown orbs locked onto Ember's quivering form in concern.

"The-the necklace, it's gone!" Bonnie gasped, prompting four pairs of eyes to burn a hole onto the ground where the necklace previously laid. Ember tangled a hand nervously through her thick curls, adding pressure onto her scalp as she whipped her head around fervently, "I told you! I effing _told you_ all that this accursed séance was a _horrible, horrible_ idea!"

"Em, now isn't the time for 'I told you so's'," Elena sighed, placing a comforting arm around her twin, frowning at the incessant shaking.

" _There_!" Caroline suddenly shrieked, pointing a finger in the direction of the bathroom floor. Bonnie sighed in relief and hurried over to don it, but just as she picked it up, the bathroom door slammed loudly in her face and wouldn't budge. The air was permeated with the despairing and frightful screams of Bonnie while the four girls attempted to open the door. Even Lexi's vampire strength was useless.

Ember shook her head rapidly and huddled against the wall, "It's no use. This is Emily's doing! You can't fight the dead unless they are in a corporeal form!" Just then, the door slowly creaked open, and they all stared worriedly at a perfectly poised Bonnie who was currently staring at them blankly.

"Bonnie?" Elena asked hesitantly, taking a few cautious steps toward her while Caroline and Lexi sandwiched a suspicious Ember. Dismissing Elena's concerns, Bonnie aloofly announced, "I'm fine."

There is a saying that Ember is extremely fond off, 'looking into one's eyes, you would hear what one is not saying, for the eyes speak louder than the voice ever will.' Bonnie's hazel-green orbs had always been expressive, and sparkled when achieving eye-contact with her friends; currently, hazel-green orbs were detached, regarding them impassively except for the perceptible disdain once they connected with Lexi's warm brown orbs.

"Try again… _Emily_ ," Ember sneered, emeralds glaring maliciously at the bitch that possessed her witch. Emily's lips spread into a haughty half-smirk and she ducked her head in acknowledgment, eliciting gasps from the other three, "You are quite the clever wand-wielder. But I cannot stay. Thank you for having me."

"Oh my _God!_ " Elena and Caroline gasped in unison, trading wide eyed stares of horror and disbelief with an equally shocked Lexi.

They followed Emily down the staircase, and much to Elena, Caroline and Lexi's confusion, Ember snarled through gritted teeth, "I won't allow you to back out on your agreement, Emily! Your descendants should not reap what _you_ sowed!"

Her hand halted on the doorknob and a moment later, Emily whipped around to face Ember with a haughty mien. "I feel sorrow over your misplaced allegiances, Ember Gilbert, or," a cruel smirk replaced the pitying stare, "is it Rose Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived?"

"Fuck you, _bitch_!" Ember snarled, going to lunge at her if it weren't for the trio of girls behind her who instantly held her back in a stronghold. Alien hazel-green orbs narrowed, and Emily straightened up imperiously as she twisted the doorknob, "I _won't_ let him have it. It _must_ be destroyed."

And she vanished from their midst, spelling the door shut behind her. Even with Lexi's superhuman strength and Ember's repertoire of unlocking spells, the door wouldn't budge until suddenly, after a minute of aimless yelling and pulling and banging against the door, it opened from the outside, and they instinctively screamed in unified alarm.

"What the hell?" Jeremy scowled. Irritated brown orbs morphed into concern upon noticing the four girl's terrified expressions, "Em, Elena, what's going on?"

"Later!" the twins chanted hurriedly; the four girls ignored the myriad of curious stares from the Brits and clambered into Ember's car who immediately stepped on the gas and blurred down the road, "Elena, call Damon or Stefan, let them know that Emily possessed Bonnie and is headed over to Fell's Church by the old cemetery to destroy the talisman."

Used to Ember's foreknowledge over practically _everything_ , the girls fixated the redhead with their utmost attention as she drove like a maniac down the road while explaining her previous conversation with Damon. Suffice to say, Elena shared Ember's lack of enthusiasm and massive disdain pertaining Emily's backstabbing; the twins were noble to the core, and when a deal had been struck, followed by a vow, it must be upheld, no matter the consequences. Lexi and Caroline were indignant over the abhorrent actions of Emily and hoped that Ember had a plan, because Damon would wreak havoc on the town if that talisman got destroyed and he was kept from Katherine – no matter how manipulative and bitchy she was, according to Lexi; everyone deserved to be reunited with their love.

The quartet arrived just as Emily began drawing a pentagram onto the ground, and they heard Stefan confront Damon in horror, "Twenty-seven vampires, Damon. They were _vampires_. You can't bring them back!"

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything, boys," Ember announced in fake cheer, her emerald orbs glaring daggers into Emily, " _Bitch_!" Damon sagged in visible relief and sent a grateful smile at the redhead, much to Stefan's confusion, his forehead furrowing in confusion as he flashed over to the quartet's side in case they needed protection. "Stop this now, Emily, or I'll _make you_."

"You don't scare me _Rose_ ," Emily snarled, pausing in her administrations, and although Ember was furious with the dead witch, she inwardly smirked at the palpable fear displayed on her best friend's features.

Caroline snarled aggressively and clenched a fist, "Her name is _Ember_ , Emily. _Use it_!"

Ember took two confident steps forward, grinning maliciously at the sinner masked behind the saint's face, "I believe I _do_ scare you, _Emily Bennett_. You've been watching from the beyond you _know_ my powers, the potent magic running through my veins. You know that compared to mine, your magic is parlor tricks and I can put a hundred of you down easily!"

Emily decided to preach to Ember's compassionate side, her mien morphed imploringly as she beseeched her with desperate eyes, "These people do not deserve this, Ember. They should never have to know such evil. You are a _good_ witch; do not allow innocents to suffer due to my past mistake."

Shaking her head pitifully, Ember spoke with utmost conviction, "I am not a _good_ witch, nor am I evil. This whole light versus dark magic is all bigoted drivel, Emily. Magic is magic, whether it is light, dark, grey, black. You are classified on _how_ you use your magic. You struck an accord with Damon in 1864; you should uphold your end of the bargain lest your descendants suffer _your_ consequences. As a powerful witch, you of all people should understand the significant magic behind a contract, whether it be verbal or printed."

There was a stifling silence in the air as they all waited for Emily's next action. Unfortunately, she chose wrong. "Sorry," she whispered to Damon.

"NO!" Damon yelled in anguish, eyes widening as fire started to surround the pentagram. Ember growled lowly in her throat and subsequently whipped out her wand and with deft ease, incanted, " _Aguamenti! Accio Bennett Talisman!_ "

Before the fire could be set ablaze, they were abundantly extinguished, and the accursed talisman that resided tightly in Emily's fist sprung directly into Ember's opened palm. Hazel-green orbs glared spitefully at the redhead, " _NOO_! You shall pay for this Ember Gilbert. You won't get away with this!" And right before the shocked spectators' eyes, hazel-greens lit up with recognition and Bonnie collapsed onto the ground, staring with intense fear at her surroundings, "Em, Elena, Care? What, what is going on? H-How did I g-get here?"

The second Emily vacated the premises back into the afterlife, the familiar chill of despair engulfed the redhead, yet she shook it off and adamantly plowed onwards, smiling wearily at a relieved Damon, "Keep this safe, huh? Especially from any acrimonious Bennetts."

"Ember. Thank you," Damon's words were colored with genuine gratitude; Ember nodded her head in cognizance and sluggishly retreated to her car, leaning against the hood and waiting for the girls to join her.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?" Bonnie snapped; sighing wearily, Elena nodded, "When we reach the house, we'll tell you everything. Just be patient. Em, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just… exhausted. You drive," Ember tossed her the car keys and hugged Lexi in farewell as she was heading back to the Boarding House with a confused Stefan and a jovial Damon. Resting her head on Caroline's lap in the backseat, the redhead ignored the odd psychedelic sensations and reveled in the tranquil silence since her head was pounding hellishly.

"Home sweet home," Elena called out, sotto voce, parking the car by the driveway and jumping out. Ember groaned aloud and stumbled out of the car, a hand pressed against her left temple in agony.

"Ember, are you okay?" Ember could hear Caroline's worried voice addressing her from a million miles away; Ember swayed on her feet, garnering the attention to be fixated solely on her. The redhead could have sworn a multitude of varied voices were frantically calling her name, yet she didn't have the strength to open her mouth which felt like sandpaper. White dots captured her vision, and she felt a glacial temperature consume her every fiber. She sluggishly extended a hand to grab onto a solid form which blurrily resembled her twin, but her hand clasped onto thin air and she began experiencing the feeling of falling from a plane.

In reality, Ember Gilbert collapsed heavily onto the pavement; Elena, Caroline and Bonnie were frantically calling her name, shaking her body into consciousness, to no avail. Their helpless cries brought the attention of the Brits, who stampeded over to them. Lily studied healing at St Mungo's and so, she immediately began waving her wand, fear gripping her heart over whatever ailed the daughter she abandoned.

"Em, please, don't leave me! Ember, _wake up_!" Elena cried hysterically, not once relinquishing any skin contact with her unconscious twin. Bonnie ran into the Gilbert Residence, beckoning Jenna and Jeremy at the top of her lungs. Caroline quashed the fear over her best friend dying on her and called Stefan, rapidly informing him of what happened and hoping that vampire blood would heal Ember.

"What the bloody hell happened?" James yelled, his face flushed, hazel orbs never leaving his daughter's unconscious form. Jenna and Jeremy pushed to the front, their faces panicky as they watched Lily Potter aimlessly chanting spell after spell with no results. Bonnie gaped in unadulterated confusion, but wisely kept her mouth shut as it _definitely_ wasn't the time to demand answers.

"Should we call an ambulance?" Jenna inquired, her voice trembling as she smoothed the sweaty hair from Ember's pale and clammy forehead. Her body wracking with tumultuous sobs, Elena rapidly shook her head, "I do-don't think it's medical, I think it's supernatural. Emily might have cursed her."

"Who the hell is Emily?" Sirius raged, silver-gray eyes transforming into a stormy gray, resembling thunderclouds as he mentally planned retribution toward this Emily person.

"My ancestor," Bonnie whispered forlornly, hazel-green orbs widening in fear. A new voice echoed around them, "Nah, Emily is a bitch, that's what she is!" The owner belonged to Damon, who was in the forefront, Stefan and Lexi shadowing him and the Brits gaped in shock, for a moment forgetting the unconscious redhead as they observed them flash abnormally to the congregated group.

"Stefan," Elena grabbed her boyfriend's arm, eyes red-rimmed as she was reduced to a blubbering mess, "I don't know what happened. She was complaining about being tired, but I thought nothing of it, and she, she-she just fainted."

Damon grimaced, electric blue eyes burning into the redhead's skull in concern. Despite their rocky start, he liked Ember Gilbert, and after she faced down a powerful dead witch for him – a vampire she held no allegiance to – he owed it to her. Kneeling down beside the immobile redhead, Damon's face vamped out and, ignoring the cacophonies of shocked yelps from the Brits and Bonnie's sharp intake of breath, bit into his wrist, shoving it into Ember's mouth.

Nothing happened.

"Damon, why, why-, why isn't anything happening?" Caroline sobbed, her baby blue eyes staring beseechingly at a somber Damon; Stefan was the one who forlornly uttered the damned words, "We cannot heal the dead."

"She's, NO! NO! Ember isn't dead! Don't say, don't _say_ that!" Jeremy yelled at the top of his lungs, unable to process another loved one – worst of all, his beloved older sister, dying on him. Ember was absolute, the mere thought of her dying was laughable.

" _Oh_ _my God!_ " Lexi cried out, tears cascading down her face as her brown orbs stared at the unconscious redhead in an unhealthy mixture of disbelief and denial.

Damon shoved his whole body onto the ground beside her, wiping the unfed blood from his wrist onto his shirt uncaringly. Staring apologetically at Elena, Jenna and Jeremy, he solemnly spoke, "I cannot hear her heartbeat. _I'm sorry_."

* * *

Cold.

That was the first thought that reverberated in her head; her whole body was flushed against frosty marble. Paroxysmal shivers erupted onto every sliver of uncovered skin. Emerald orbs roamed the owner's body in confusion before a gasp of shock echoed around the empty hall from her pouty, petal-shaped lips. The same emerald orbs widened at the indecent state of undress and began scouring the alien room greedily for something to cover herself with.

The thought barely entered her mind when neatly folded clothes appeared within arm's reach. She decided to decipher the oddity after getting dressed, and so, the gorgeous girl hurriedly donned the pure-white long-sleeved tracksuit which contrasted deeply with her waist-length crimson curls and olive complexion. Breathing a sigh of relief now that she was immune to the biting glacial temperature, emerald orbs carefully scrutinized her surroundings, her forehead burrowing in confusion when she saw no signs of recollection.

Sighing in aggravation, she opened her mouth, a shout at the tip of her tongue, when a familiar foreboding sensation consumed her. The putrid sensation of _death_. All her sensorimotor skills honed in on the ominous intrusion, and she felt her heart beat loudly against her ribcage at the dark shadow looming in front of her, formulating into a humanoid form.

"Who are you?" Ember demanded, mustering up all her remnant courage.

But the blackened shadow merely stood still, its contour radiating with a spiritual gray fog.

Upon receiving no reply, Ember groused out, "Where am I?"

Nothing.

" _Why_ did you bring me here?"

Nothing.

"Are you the specter that has been haunting me all day?"

Finally, the shadow moved. It took two determined steps toward her, but Ember adamantly stood rooted in her spot; she was not about to give this … _eerie shadow_ , the satisfaction of intimidating her.

"Are you going to answer me? Or is this a battle of wills?" Ember snapped, irritated beyond belief over the unmoving actions of the faceless, nameless shadow.

The shadow began swirling ghoulishly, and suddenly, an unclear sound escaped from the indiscernible shadow followed by a hoarse cackle, "You are _asking_ the _wrong_ questions, dearie."

Repressing the shiver from the distorted voice, Ember swallowed a huge lump from her throat, "Am I … _dead_?"

The shadow loomed closer, standing a hairsbreadth away, and Ember could feel the chilled breath escape from its concealed lips, "Almost, _try again_ , dearie."

The potent magic flowing through her veins fuelled her instincts, and her body quivered in fright, and her emerald orbs widened significantly as she knew the explicit question she should have asked from the very beginning.

"Are you Death?"

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Leo Black – Zac Efron**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Lexi Branson – Arielle Kebbel**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **CLIFFHANGER! Du-Du-Dum! Muahaha! XD**

 **This chapter was very long since it had many important factors. Tell me your honest opinion over the chapter… it couldn't be all rainbows and butterflies and all related to canon, I had to go off-grid slightly. So, Ember died? OMG … maybe … I ain't telling *innocent face* Don't kill me!**

 **Did you like the confrontation between Sirius and Ember? Honestly, I love James and Sirius and it kills me to write Ember treating them with venomous hostility, but eh, what to do.**

 **How did you like Lexi joining the girls for the girls' night in … it hadn't been done before, and so, I thought … why not? And the Damon/Ember teaming together! Told ya it won't all be Damon Bashing! ALSO, did you like the first scene with Jenna?**

 **Let me know your thoughts over the many changes in this chapter from canon! (Honestly, I thought Emily was a Bitch (pardon my language); I mean, she's so judgmental and I hated how she went back on her word with Damon after all he did for her and her descendants.)**

 **On a side note; Servants of Natures are powerful in their own way… however, I feel the Harry Potter canon magic is more potent and better. So in my fanfiction, wand-wielders are extremely powerful in comparison to Servants of Natures and shouldn't be trifled with.**

 **R &R.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **Dear Faithful Readers; I advise you all to** _ **please**_ **read the** **Author's Note** **at the end of this chapter, for despite my ramblings (shy face) it is important for the future chapters. ENJOY! XD**

 **Chapter 11:**

" _Are you Death?"_

Silence permeated the air the second the question came forth from Ember's lips. The shadow quivered before disappearing entirely from view, leaving Ember by her lonesome. The nervous inhalation and exhalation of her breathing echoed in the vacant, chilly room, and just as her impatience reared its head, a new sound ensued; footsteps, delicate yet deliberate and calculated footsteps. Emerald orbs narrowed in on the new figure and then widened at finally seeing the true face of the specter that had been haunting her.

Familiar hazel-green orbs stared at her from an oval shaped face, high cheekbones, a slightly wide forehead, a curved chin, and a straight-sloped nose. She had long, straight ebony locks that cascaded down to her thighs, a caramel complexion, and thin beige lips that curved into a benign smile once she stood directly opposite to her. The woman shook her head slightly, and opened her mouth, " _Death_? As much as I am used to being compared to death, I don't think Death himself would appreciate your muddle up, child." Her voice, although identical to the looming shadow, was softer, more honeyed and didn't elicit goosebumps from her, nor did it stir any foreboding sensations, but one of tranquility.

"Who are you? _Why_ am I here? Am I, am I … _dead_?" Ember choked out with grief, the questions tumbling one after the other, encouraged with the creepy shadow's disappearance. Compassion shone from those familiar eyes, and the strange woman took deliberate steps toward her and softly grasped her hand, a soothing smile on her visage.

"Your answers shall all be answered in time, child. Fret not," the woman uttered, and Ember noted that her words had a lilt, the archaic inflection standing out vastly in her tone. "But I shall appease you by giving you the answer to your first questions. My name, child, is Qetsiyah, and _I_ was the one to bring you into my domain."

"Qetsiyah?" crimson brows knit together in confusion, the name completely unfamiliar to her. "But, but _why_?"

"We have much to discuss, dear one, and not enough time," Qetsiyah ominously uttered.

* * *

Throughout all the mourning, yells of denial and discord, Jenna managed to call an ambulance, and the large congregated group relocated themselves into the hospital's waiting room where they were all impatiently awaiting the doctor's diagnosis. It wasn't until three hours after Damon claimed that Ember lacked a heartbeat, that Doctor Meredith Fell approached them and consequently informed them that the team of surgeons finally managed to resuscitate her, but due to her being dead for hours, Ember was in a deep coma.

"I hate to be blunt, Jenna," Meredith mournfully spoke up, "But if I were you, I wouldn't get my hopes up. We will make her comfortable to the best of our abilities, but you should be ready for two possibilities. Either she never wakes up, or," sighing sadly, and staring at the sea of worried faces, Meredith softly carried on, " _Or_ if, and it's a _large_ _if_ , she does wake up, she could have amnesia."

Bonnie, unable to stick around the mourning Gilberts with the thoughts of her ancestor responsible for her best friend's condition plaguing her mind, departed the hospital to her Grams, demanding answers nobody had the heart to give her, as they were all drowning in grief. The Potters and the Blacks knew their presence wasn't wanted and so, returned to their houses, but were adamant in visiting Ember the next day. Lexi managed to remain waiting until daylight and then ensconced herself in the Salvatore Boarding House. Damon, Stefan and Caroline however, were the only ones to remain behind with Jenna, Elena and Jeremy, all three of whom were sporting bloodshot eyes, tear-stained faces, puffy eyes and a gloomy disposition.

The sun came up, and Ember was still in the firm clutches of a coma, and only the soothing sounds of her rhythmic heartbeat echoing around the room, gave the three family members, Caroline, and the two vampires a smidge of hope. Not one word was traded, six pairs of eyes unwaveringly attached to Ember's pallid face and unconscious form, their eyes flickering at times to the tube covering her ashen lips, where it was hooked up to a ventilator, portraying the severity of Ember's condition.

The doctors were all dumbfounded with what ailed Ember Gilbert, and what caused her to fall to her death. Many tests were made, blood was taken, and X-Rays were filmed, and the verdict explicitly displayed that Ember Gilbert was a healthy young girl, with absolutely no disease, cancer or any life threatening affliction riddling her.

The enigma of Ember echoed in the recess of every doctor's mind; _how does a perfectly healthy girl just collapse to her death?_ Unfortunately, medicine never heard of the spirits of vindictive dead witches before, and could therefore, offer no solution.

* * *

"Death and I, are two completely different entities, Ember," Qetsiyah's lecturing tone snapped the redhead from her bewildered trance, and she looked up into hazel-green orbs, offering her complete attention. "Death is portrayed as the Grim Reaper, who does in fact, collect souls, both mortal and supernatural. I, on the other hand, am the creator of this dimension we both appear to be in."

"Dimension?" Ember parroted in palpable confusion.

Qetsiyah nodded with a smile, "Yes. For I am the creator of _The Other Side_. Tis a supernatural dimension where the spirits of dead _supernatural beings_ reside in a state of purgatory or limbo. A choice is given to the pure ones who have done much good in their life, or harvested compassion, to move on and find eternal peace." As Ember's forehead puckered in confusion, Qetsiyah gestured for her to amble alongside her, and she clarified her previous statement, "You see, Ember, some beings prefer to stand watch over their loved ones or their descendants instead of moving on, and for some, only once their loved ones have departed from the land of living, or their unfinished business has reached fruition, do they decide to move on."

Comprehension flickered in emerald orbs, "So if I am in The Other Side, where are all the other dead beings?"

Qetsiyah chuckled, shaking her head fondly at the redhead, "Oh, dear child, we shall not be interacting with them, for we are in my private quarters. I am the creator of this dimension, and so, I have my own privacy in which I dwell."

"Okay, f _ii_ ne, look. Not wanting to be rude, Qetsiyah, but _why_ exactly am I here? I am a completely healthy girl, I should not be dead-"

"Ah, but you have said it yourself, child. _Should_ _not_ , not _could not._ You _should not_ be dead," Qetsiyah retorted contritely. Ember blanched, and her heart began racing, aggressively beating against her ribcage at the implication. Qetsiyah let out a long sigh before whipping around to face her, "The answers to which you seek shall be answered in due time, but we mustn't tarry, for I cannot leave you in my domain for long."

Ember obediently remained silent as Qetsiyah gathered her thoughts together, and when she finally spoke, there was a detached quality to her accentuated words, "I was born two thousand years ago, Ember," she barely managed to continue with her diatribe as Ember sucked in a sharp intake of breath; the witch had never before met anybody that old. Even Hogwarts' Founders were born _one_ thousand years ago, but two millennia was unheard of. "Throughout the millennia, history is all muddled up with deception and misconstructions, and there will come a day were you shall hear of my name, and for that, I shall offer a few genuine facts about me until the time comes. I am a powerful witch child, and for that reason I was coveted by many; I was an ambitious witch with many goals and dreams and with the aid of my best friend, a fellow powerful warlock, they _nearly_ came to fruition. Unfortunately, my own flesh and blood betrayed me in a deplorable act, leaving me to abide my time until I succeeded. My sister, five years younger than I, was a spiteful and vindictive witch, envious of my potent powers, and since I trusted her wholeheartedly, she manipulated me, betrayed me, backstabbed me, and then finally, murdered me in cold blood."

Ember gasped, both hands covered her mouth in shock, "H-How? I, I can't even stomach the idea of family turning their back against each other, and to the extent of killing-, _wow_!"

"Family always comes first, hmm?" Qetsiyah grinned fondly. "Oh yes, I am quite knowledgeable of the Gilbert Family Motto, child. Unfortunately, my sister, Qadira, lacked any loyalty, only looking out for herself and her own happiness, which of course, backfired in the end," and here, the archaic witch's grin turned sadistic, and Ember couldn't honestly blame her. "I will not enter the excruciating details of my history, or my goals, for now. When the time is right, I shall impart all truthful knowledge to you, but for now, I must inform you of the very reason I intercepted and brought you here."

"Intercepted?" Ember interjected harshly, tired with the lack of details and the continuously beating around the bush, "Intercepted who?"

" _Whom_ , child. Intercepted _whom,_ " Qetsiyah corrected, and Ember could have sworn a malicious glint flashed in those familiar hazel-green eyes and her face morphed into bitterness with a combination of vehement disapproval, "You managed to attain powerful enemies, Ember dear. I intercepted Emily Bennett's vow of retribution. You were close to being cursed, child."

Scoffing loudly, Ember crossed her arms against her chest, "I'm already dead, though… aren't I?" she asked uncertainly, but Qetsiyah merely offered her a secretive smile, one that held more questions than answers.

* * *

There was no question over whether or not Elena, Caroline and Jeremy were going to make an appearance at school, for none of them wanted to leave Ember alone in fear of her awakening or perishing in their absence. For the past fifteen hours, they were all in a catatonic state, only moving from their post when nourishment was needed; however, the routine was interrupted with Sheriff Forbes' arrival.

"Mom? What are you-, are you here to visit Ember?" Caroline asked hoarsely, her voice diminishing with her lack of speech. Liz smiled sadly, her mahogany orbs watering slightly when she looked upon Ember's frail state and the desolate face of her precious daughter. Unfortunately, Liz was on duty at the moment and could not offer her daughter any comfort. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I'm here on police business."

Caroline scoffed, her cornflower-blue eyes hardening as she stared at her absentee mother, "Of course, how could I forget that your job will always be more important than your own daughter, and Ember who looks up to you as an aunt."

Caroli-"

"No! I don't want to hear it," Caroline hissed, interrupting what looked to be more worn-out excuses from her mother. Addressing Elena, she said, "I'm going to get something from the cafeteria, you want anything?"

Elena's eyes flickered to her dispirited aunt and disconsolate brother before standing up and joining Caroline, "I'll come with. Get some food for Jenna and Jeremy. Stefan, you coming?" Once the three of them departed Ember's private room, Liz sighed forlornly and gestured for Damon to walk with her. As they approached the vacant waiting room, she turned around to face Damon, worried frowns settling in on her forehead.

"Sheriff, what do you need?" Damon asked; a part of him wanted to remain with Ember, but he knew that the Sheriff called him for a reason, most probably related to the council, and if he wanted to remain in the loop and keep suspicions away from him and Stefan until he liberated Katherine from the tomb, he had to play his part well.

"There's been another attack," Liz whispered solemnly. "A female victim, her throat torn out, completely drained of blood. It fits the pattern."

Shocked speechless, Damon unattractively gaped at the grave Sherriff, unable to comprehend the situation, for all the previous vampire attacks were caused by _him_ , and he sure as hell haven't been feeding on anything but blood bags since Lexi's arrival. "I'm sorry. I don't understand. I thought we solved that problem when I staked the blonde one," and it was half-true, after all, Ember did some freaky witch mojo with her mind, placing the memory of him staking a blonde _male_ vampire instead of Lexi like he had originally planned.

Liz shook her head in bafflement, "I'm thinking he must have turned someone. Or _multiple_ someones. I don't know." Damon's expression remained blank and perplexed, but inwardly, he scoffed, for he was positive that the imaginary blonde vampire didn't turn anyone. Oblivious to the conflicting thoughts revolving in Damon's head, Liz hurriedly continued, "The story for the town is another animal attack, but I'm not sure how long we can keep lying to them. The council is in an uproar. We thought we were past this."

Trying to be helpful, Damon schooled his handsome visage into one of determination, "So, uh, what do we do?" Liz pursed her lips and stared at him in consternation, "You're the only one who's ever taken on a vampire. We were hoping you could tell us."

Damon nodded, "I'll see what I can do, Liz. You can trust me on this." Once she left the hospital, he made a beeline to Ember's room, grateful that Stefan had returned. Knowing that Jenna, Jeremy, Elena and Caroline were aware of the supernatural, he didn't bother to lower his voice as he divulged to his brother that there was another vampire in town.

Life flickered back into Elena's face, and she traded a confused glance with an equally perplexed Caroline, "But, you, Stefan and Lexi are the only vampires in town, who else could it be?"

"Back when that damn reporter Logan nearly killed Stefan, he had the Gilbert compass in his possession-" Damon was interrupted by an enraged Jeremy, who had been listening in on them despite his catatonic state, "How the hell did he get that? It was in my room!"

Even Jenna managed to detach her brown orbs from Ember's form to stare at Damon in question. Of course, she was informed of her ex-boyfriend's untimely demise, and although she was saddened that Vicki killed him in the end, she couldn't bring herself to mourn over the man who continuously broke her heart. Damon leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and nonchalantly shrugged, "My guess is he sneaked into your room one day-"

"That son of a bitch!" Jenna croaked. All eyes were fixated on her, and after she took a few sips of water, she cleared her throat and clarified, "I knew there must have been a reason why he kept pushing for dinner to take place at the house. When he spent ages in the bathroom, he must have pilfered the compass from Jeremy's room."

"Makes sense," Stefan nodded grimly, "Logan Fell was a member of the council. They must have tasked him with getting the compass from you since it's a Gilbert heirloom."

"But why?" Jeremy frowned in confusion.

Damon rolled his eyes at his obliviousness, but spoke calmly, not wanting to add more stress to the mourning Gilbert, "Your ancestor, Jonathan Gilbert created that compass back in 1864, it's how the council managed to pinpoint the vampires. It's not a normal compass, Jeremy, it points towards vampires. And luckily, I managed to retrieve it from Logan's dead body. So," he pushed himself off the wall, "Who's going to offer their help in assisting me with finding this mysterious vampire?"

"Damon," Stefan warned him. Damon scoffed, "Look, I understand that this is horrible timing, but I interfere with the compass, I need-"

"I'll do it."

Five pairs of eyes widened in shock at Caroline's resolute stance. Caroline Forbes out of all people was freely offering her services to Damon Salvatore, the vampire that fed from her, compelled her, and basically made her life hell before discovering about vampires. "I'll do it," Caroline repeated adamantly, getting off her seat, "All this waiting is _killing_ me, I need a distraction."

"Okay, Care, just, just be careful, okay?" Elena softly spoke up, her chocolate orbs worriedly assessing her blonde best friend, "We can't lose you too."

Caroline nodded and stood beside Damon, "Just, if there's any change with Ember, let me know, okay?"

* * *

"Say what now? Emily Bennett? That bitch was banished back to the afterlife, thank you very much," Ember scowled; she loved Sheila and Bonnie, but their ancestor was a spiteful, backstabbing bitch, and Ember hated her with a passion, especially after she kept spouting off all that Rose Potter, Girl-Who-Lived bullshit. Ember hated it when people went back on their word, and even though Emily was dead, there was no excuse for her to terminate the deal she struck with Damon, who had kept his promise and saved the Bennett line throughout the century and a half of his immortality.

It was almost as if Qetsiyah had read her mind, for the ancient witch beamed at her proudly, "We are digressing, child. …For two millennia I patiently bid my time in my dimension, conspiring and planning out my long-forgotten goals, and then, seventeen years ago, you were born. I felt a spike of potent power in the air, and it echoed through me in this dimension. It was then that I discovered the prophecy that ruled your birth, and that morbid Halloween night, I watched how you miraculously defeated the Dark Lord, Voldemort." Ember backed away slightly, her emerald orbs widening in shock; this was more than the redhead ever expected, but Qetsiyah ignored her state, and adamantly continued, "Albus Dumbledore is not evil, Ember, he has good intentions, but he merely doled out actions incorrectly. I observed from The Other Side as the old fool wrongly claimed Harold Potter as the Boy-Who-Lived, and watched in apoplectic anger and disgust as James and Lily Potter dropped you on the doorstep of that dreary orphanage on a cold, windy night. And then," her smile widened impressively, " _And_ _then_ , child, Grayson and John Gilbert found you, and took you in, and let me tell you Ember, there is no doubt that you were _meant_ to be adopted by the Gilberts."

"Wh-what, no, wh-,"Ember stammered like an idiot, unable to form a simple comprehensive word.

Qetsiyah softly clasped her hand and lifted it to her chest, those familiar hazel-green orbs staring solemnly at her, "The very second the decision of abandoning you was made by the Potters, the prophecy became null and void, Ember. Your future _changed_ the second John Gilbert picked you up from the ground. Your future began _unfolding_ once Grayson and Miranda decided to adopt you and made you a Gilbert. Your future was _set in stone_ once you were bequeathed the name Ember Miranda Gilbert. You are meant for a plethora of great things, Ember, and everyone's future began to erase itself, write out and change completely when you were brought and raised in Mystic Falls."

"What do you mean?" Ember unconsciously whispered, feeling a heavy burden drop onto her shoulders all of a sudden.

The ancient witch patted her cheek fondly, and disclosed in a mystical voice, "Grayson and John Gilbert were taught at a young age to despise vampires with venomous malice. The journals of their ancestors claimed them to be naught but coldblooded and vicious murderers who are constantly in a state of blood frenzy and are abominations deserving of a swift death. In 1864, witches were sentenced to death, pursued and once congregated together, they were burned alive. But when you entered their life, everything changed phenomenally. The Gilbert brothers, though still adverse to vampires, were no longer blinded by their ancestors recounting. They now admit that, like there are murderous vampires, there are also good ones out there that deserve a chance at life. The Gilbert brothers respect witches and their potent power. All because of _you_ , dear one. It all changed when at the age of ten, your heritage was uncovered, and every weekend when you returned to Mystic Falls and regaled all about the magical community and the creatures that exist within, their beliefs slowly changed."

"So if I am to understand you correctly, you're saying that the Potters abandoning me was like the butterfly effect?" Ember struggled to say, as the weight of Qetsiyah's words seared into her mind.

"Exactly!" Qetsiyah enthusiastically replied, glad that the redhead managed to keep up with her, "On your eleventh birthday, Death paid me a visit – don't you roll your eyes at me, child." Ember snorted, but acquiesced and fixed the ancient witch with a solemn stare. "Death knew of my obsession with you ever since I felt the potent power running through your veins and in the ambience when you came out of Lily Potter's womb. He shared with me images of a future without you in it, what I mean to say, without you being raised as a Gilbert. And it was _horrible_ ," a chill ran down Ember's spine once she was on the receiving end of Qetsiyah's grave look, "So much unneeded death and tragedy. Your parents were always meant to die on May 23rd 2009, child; I know you hate to hear this, but their death was written in stone with your inclusion and without. The Salvatore brothers' arrival was meant to be as well, but the many deaths that followed were not. You being raised as a Gilbert was foretold to change many things."

"Such as? Give me a few examples, Qetsiyah, because what you're saying is insane!"

"Lexi's death for one. Jenna and Jeremy being knowledgeable in all things supernatural will be crucial in saving their lives. You aiding Damon and stopping Emily from destroying the talisman prevented many deaths as well. Don't sell yourself short, child," Qetsiyah rebuked her as though she were a petulant, misbehaving child. "After Death's departure, I left you be, and watched over my descendants and I didn't return to your side until two nights ago."

"I know. I _felt_ you," Ember articulated in a hushed voice, "I felt like Death was coming to claim my soul, and I didn't know why."

"It is time you know, child," Qetsiyah firmly responded. "For when Emily Bennett began haunting Bonnie's dreams, I watched you closely, and your actions solidified my goals. My descendants are misguided, Ember, and I have chosen _you_ to be the Champion that shall fix my sister's mistakes."

"Woah! Hold on a second. You're a Bennett witch! Emily and Bonnie are your descendants!" Ember felt like bashing her skull against the wall for not realizing it sooner. Qetsiyah's hazel-green eyes were familiar because they were the exact same shade and shape as Bonnie's.

Qetsiyah chuckled good-naturedly, "I was wondering how long it would take you to piece the puzzle together."

"But, I don't understand. What can I do? How exactly are they misguided?"

A despondent look overtook Qetsiyah's ethereal visage, and she pursed her lips in disappointment, "Servants of Nature have been misled for two millennia, ever since my death and Qadira's betrayal. Listen to me, child. With my untimely demise, I bore no children. Qadira however, gave birth to a girl, a Bennett descendant who continued our heritage, and due to Qadira's vindictiveness, they existed a life of deception. As Servants of Nature evolved and proliferated throughout these two millennia, so did their deep hatred for vampires; Servants of Nature witches believe that their duty is to maintain the balance within the world by eradicating the abominations they call vampires, but alas, they were erroneous. Throughout the millennia _they_ have deplorably _failed_ in their duties, and I have chosen you to make it right, to fix the wrongs by honoring the design of nature and maintaining balance within the supernatural world."

* * *

Harold Potter was confused.

He had grown up believing that he was the savior of the wizarding world, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Heir to the Potter line, and the Chosen One, and for those plethora of reasons, he grew up to be a spoilt and arrogant boy just like Professor Snape always claimed him to be. During the course of his childhood, Harry loved being an older brother, and thrived to ensure he always was the focal point of Violet's adoring gaze; Violet Potter, his baby sister, perceived him as her idol and always looked up to him as her older brother. But despite all that, Harry always felt as though there was something, or _someone_ important missing from his life, but he kept such peculiar thoughts to himself and only shared them with his best friends Ron and Hermione. And then, the Triwizard Tournament took place at Hogwarts, he prevailed the Third Task and became the guest of honor to Voldemort's rebirthing ritual in which Wormtail used his blood to aid Voldemort's attainment of a corporeal form.

That was the pivotal moment in Harry Potter's life where the truth finally came out from Voldemort's lipless mouth. He had another sister. _No,_ not just _any_ sister, but a _twin_ sister, the other half of him, the missing piece of him, and the actual Child-Who-Lived; Harry's entire life had been a mockery, a lie! He was never supposed to be the Boy-Who-Lived, and according to Voldemort, _she_ intercepted the Killing Curse that was meant for him, for if Rose stayed in her crib, Harry would have died, and she would have been the lone survivor on Halloween.

 _And he hated her_.

In all honesty, deep within the recess of his mind, Harry recognized his hatred for Rose was deep-seated from his parents' deception and not from her stealing his elaborate title, for how could he hate the twin that saved his life? How could he hate his sister who was abandoned and dumped uncaringly on the front steps of an orphanage without even a letter stating her given name or date of birth? No. Harold Potter, in all actuality took out his hatred of his parents' choice on Rose's existence. And now, after seeing her die with his own eyes, seeing her immobile form and being informed that she had less than a percentage of survival, it awoke his true feelings and the profound love he felt for the twin sister he never had a chance of knowing, robbed by his parents.

Harry currently sat in the terrace of Potter Manor in Mystic Falls with his friends and Violet while he mulled the true feelings in his head. He shook his head in disapproval when he heard Albus Dumbledore floo inside the house, knowing that his parents and godparents made a colossal mistake in bringing forth the Headmaster and confiding in him of Rose- No, _Ember's_ crucial condition. Harry knew that Dumbledore's interference would only cause more problems with the Gilberts – his twin sister's true family, the ones she loved with every beat of her heart.

"Woah, Harry, _look_!" Violet's hushed voice implored; Harry's hazel orbs concentrated on the blue car that parked in front of the Boarding House, and discovered that Violet's attention had been fixated on their neighbor's bloody form, and the blonde girl, Caroline or whatever, aiding him into the house.

"God, I'm trying to _help you_ , Damon!" Caroline yelled, the annoyance seeping into her voice.

"Well, I doubt you're willing to tap a vein for me, Blondie, so not really helping."

Caroline then stomped her feet on the ground as she opened the door, and the last words they heard before the front door closed behind them, was her grousing out, " _God_ , you are _such_ an _ass_!"

The Salvatores were another conundrum to Harry; last night, when that Damon fellow, his brother and the other blonde lady appeared by Ember's unconscious form, they showed abnormal speed, and when Damon bit his wrist and practically forced his blood into her mouth, it wholly shocked him. They were obviously vampires, but none of them had ever heard or seen of such humanoid vampires, and their species differed greatly from Magical Vampires. The Gilberts and their friends however, were very familiar with them and the Salvatore brothers never once left Ember's bedside at the hospital.

Suddenly, Dumbledore appeared by their side dressed eccentrically in Muggle garbs, his face sullen, but he managed to give them all a benign smile. His Dad addressed them all, "You are all to stay here under Bill's protection while we take Albus to the hospital."

Harry kept quiet, but he knew that their decision would come to bite them all in the ass.

* * *

Jenna glared at the unwelcome visitors with intense hatred; with their sudden arrival, she managed to snap out of her catatonic state and defend her unconscious niece. The nerve of them; of course Jenna comprehended the British intruders hoped to get away with it due to Ember's lack of awareness.

"I don't care _who_ you are, old man! You are not allowed to be alone or within close proximity of my niece!" Jenna shouted, her brown orbs ablaze with fury. Jeremy stood protectively by Ember's side, and if truth be told, Jenna was grateful for Stefan's safe presence, knowing that he would be able to flash her away in the worst case scenario.

"My dear-"

"I am not _your_ _dear_ _anything_ , Dumbledore!" Jenna interrupted with a growl, taking deep pleasure in the flicker of surprise that appeared in the light blue orbs of the wizened wizard, "What? Thought I was oblivious, old man? We all know who you are, and how you are trying to turn my niece into your scapegoat."

"Miss Sommers," Dumbledore sighed wearily, "I am here due to reasons of utmost importance. I need to identify something within your niece-"

"No!" Elena finally spoke up, her chocolate orbs hardening, "You and your damn wand are going nowhere near my sister. You lost all chances of interaction when you threw her away. I'm sure President Bane would be _very_ interested once I tell him that you are practically trying to bulldoze your way into Ember's life while she's unconscious and therefore taking advantage of her vulnerable state."

The threat of the President of MACUSA worked wonders with the old geezer, the Potters and the Blacks, for Ember was an American citizen and under Gregory Bane's personal protection, _especially_ in regards to Albus Dumbledore's many schemes in turning her into the British Community's scapegoat against Voldemort.

Before Dumbledore could manage a retort, a stern voice boomed out, "Is there a problem here?" They all whipped around, and Jenna vividly breathed a sigh of relief at the Mayor's arrival. "Mayor Lockwood," Jenna smiled, "These people here are not respecting _my_ wishes as Ember's _guardian_ to leave her alone."

Mayor Richard Lockwood leveled them with a warning look, "Listen up Mr. Potter, we already spoke about this before you chose to seek residence in my town. You are to stay far away from Ember unless she desires a confrontation. Choosing to force yourselves into her personal space in her current condition where she cannot speak for herself is deplorable and I will not stand for it."

"She is my daughter!" James snapped indignantly.

"No," Richard simply replied in a manner of forced calm, "Her father, _Grayson_ , was a good man, and he died. Jenna is her aunt and acting guardian, and you will respect her wishes, or we'll be having problems. Now please, leave." Once the group of wand-wielders grudgingly left, Mayor Lockwood adopted his worried uncle visage and stared imploringly between Jenna and Ember, "How is she? Tyler's a mess, and Carol and I have been worried sick."

Jenna sniffed and accepted the hug from him gladly, "She's still the same. It isn't good, Richard."

"Ember is a fighter, don't you worry. Elena, you good sweetheart?" Richard embraced the tearful twin and after clasping Jeremy's shoulder in a comforting manner, promised that he would return after the career fair at Mystic Falls High was over. Mayor Lockwood had barely been gone for an hour, when a frantic Caroline and a freshly showered pissed off Damon made an appearance.

"Did you locate the vampire?" Stefan abruptly asked, forgoing all pleasantries. Jenna, Elena and Jeremy concentrated on Damon and Caroline, awaiting their reply.

"Oh, we found him alright. It's Logan Fell," Damon spat out in anger.

"What? How?!" Jenna gasped, clutching her chest in fear and confusion.

Caroline shook her head, after all, she had remained by Damon's side during the entire intense confrontation unable to do anything but stand by the sidelines feeling useless while she watched Logan shoot wooden bullets repeatedly at Damon's torso, "Apparently someone slipped him vampire blood while he was unaware."

"He's going to the career fair at school. Stefan you with me?" Damon offered. Grimly, Stefan kissed Elena goodbye, and the two vampires raced over to the Mystic Falls High; they had a volatile vampire to neutralize.

* * *

"How am I supposed to maintain the balance? I mean, all Servants of Nature are indoctrinated to believe vampires are abominations," Ember informed the ancient witch.

"You are worthy, child. The odd thing is you and your _adopted_ twin-" Ember couldn't help but frown at the way Qetsiyah said the word 'adopted', almost as though she knew something Ember didn't, but she didn't dare to interrupt, "-both have a pure soul. Instead of vindicating vampires as soulless monsters who deserve death and lack any and all compassion, you defend them and try to understand them. Even with the ominous future spread out in front of you that is filled with perilous dangers and life threatening situations, yet you feel empathy toward evil's plight."

"What do you mean by a perilous future?" Ember inquired; fear the main emotion on her visage as it gripped her heart.

Qetsiyah gave her a look filled with unadulterated pity, "You are not meant to know yet, but I shall give you a clue, one that would take prominence in Elena's life. Elena is the doppelgänger of Katherine. Stefan will be honest once you ask, but do ensure your sister that the young Salvatore loves her despite the fact she shares the same face as his previous lover."

Ember gaped at the ancient witch; her sister was the doppelgänger of the manipulative vampire that played two close brothers against each other and turned them into bitter rivals, the same bitch that Damon was deeply enamored with? Shaking her head, Ember decided to think about that particular quandary later on.

"Now, listen carefully, child; when I observed you defend Damon, fight Emily and keep the pact she was willing to ignore, it cemented you as my chosen champion. You, a powerful witch, who detected the importance of a bound agreement, and is aiding my remaining descendants' survival. I would greatly appreciate it if you accept the role I bequeath to you, and cleanse the propagandized beliefs of all Servants of Nature witches," Qetsiyah implored, her hazel-green orbs beseeching the redhead to accept the huge burden.

Ember glared at the cunning ancient witch, for there was no question on whether or not the redhead would accept the important role that was being bestowed upon her. However, Ember had always been an astute girl who had the ability to perceive the bigger picture, and it was obvious to her that Qetsiyah was hiding many things from her.

"Why ask me when you know I would accept in a heartbeat? I am not a fan of all this dogma, and in my honest belief, Servants of Nature witches are too haughty and arrogant, believing them to be self-important and gods. I mean, they have the audacity to put themselves on a holy pedestal while they condemn vampires and call _them_ monsters. They are carnivores; we humans eat meat, just like vampires need blood as nourishment."

In a rare moment of childishness, so unlike the two-thousand-year-old witch, Qetsiyah jubilantly clapped her hands and let out a squeal. After composing herself, Qetsiyah smiled at her, and announced, "That is the reason why I have chosen _you_ , Ember Gilbert. You and your sister working together as a team, both of you shall be an indestructible and unstoppable force. Your close family ties, and the friendships you make will prove to be crucial in the future. Now, l shall state your duty, child, so listen carefully; there has to be a balance to each and every supernatural entity in existence. There aren't supposed to be too many werewolves, or too many vampires, or too many Servant of Nature witches and wand-wielders, there also shouldn't be too many humans. There has to be a _balance_ so that the supernatural don't take over and wipe out the human race, and in retrospect, humans cannot overpopulate and wipe out the various supernatural entities. Qadira, in all her vindictive glory, twisted my beliefs and our duty as witches; she ensured her daughter would receive a fake journal depicting our hatred to vampires in the hopes that all our remaining descendants would eradicate them from the world. That cannot do, and you will be the turning point in restoring our duty, and the duty of my lineage."

* * *

Damon grabbed Logan by the collar and dragged him over to Stefan who was waiting for them in the stoner pit, away from all the innocents congregated inside the school while Liz Forbes ran over to the hospital to ensure Caroline's safety after Logan threatened her life.

Stefan passed over a tire iron to Damon, who swiftly caught it and swung it over Logan's head, indicating that he would harm him if he didn't get the answers he needed, "I'm gonna try this one more time. _Who_ turned you?"

"I told you, _I_ _don't know_!" Logan lied through gritted teeth.

Damon rolled his eyes and inspected the tire iron while Stefan held Logan in a stronghold, "This tire iron here could take your head clean off" he then held it again in a swinging position, aiming for Logan's head, "Is that your final answer?"

Logan's face twisted into unadulterated rage, "How can you side with _them_?"

"Them?" Stefan spat, tightening his grip on a struggling Logan, "I thought you loved Jenna, she is part of the _them_ you so hatefully speak of. Ember Gilbert showed us nothing but compassion and instead of us waiting by her bedside at the hospital we're here cleaning up your mess. Elena is my girlfriend who I love, and I'll be damned if I allow you to risk her life and those I am beginning to care for."

"Besides, you pissed me off," Damon sneered, "I want you dead. Who turned you?"

"I don't know!" Logan yelled again.

Shrugging nonchalantly, Damon griped the tire iron firmly, and lazily drawled, "Oh, well, you're screwed." Just as he swung it towards Logan's head, he cried out in a panic, "Wait, wait! I do know!"

"You're lying!" Stefan growled, "What happened to your little bout of amnesia?"

Logan ignored Stefan's quip and stared at a curious Damon, "You think you're the only one who wants to get in that tomb underneath the old church?" In his shock, Stefan's grip slackened slightly and Damon's face morphed into murderous rage, "If you're lying to me, _I_ _will_ _end_ _you_."

"I am _not_ lying. They've been watching you, trying to get that necklace from your possession," Logan frantically admitted. Damon and Stefan traded serious looks, an unspoken conversation happening, and after a minute of silence, Stefan grabbed the wooden stake from his back pocket and stabbed Logan in the heart from behind, dropping his mummified corpse onto the ground.

Whistling ominously, Damon scratched the back of his head, "Guess we're not alone anymore. I'll put him in the trunk, show the Sheriff. You return back to Elena. We need to be vigilant brother, by the looks of things, we got company."

"Keep that talisman of yours safe."

Frowning in confusion, Damon solemnly spoke up, "Why are you helping me? I know you, Stefan, and the last thing you want is for Katherine to get out."

Whipping around, Stefan shot Damon a look of immense disapproval, but genuinely said, "And you're right. I honestly believe Katherine will cause nothing but trouble and a bloodbath, but… you're my brother, you love Katherine, I want you to be happy, and… at least I know you plan on freeing only her. These new vampires, we don't know, but by the looks of things, they want in that tomb, and they might free all twenty-seven vampires. I can't have that. _This town_ doesn't deserve that."

Scrutinizing his younger brother, he nodded once upon detecting no deception in his tone, "Go on, go back to Elena, I'll be with you as soon as I show Liz Logan's body and grab the talisman."

* * *

Emerald orbs watered at the scene laid out underneath her. From The Other Side, Ember stood, her posture trembling with many emotions as she witnessed her family and friends each come to visit her, each of them grieving in their own way. The truth was, Ember never knew how much she meant to the people of Mystic Falls until this very moment. Even Tyler, her ex-jerk of a boyfriend, couldn't prevent a few tears from falling, and once his grief turned into anger, he made a gigantic scene at the career fair, prompting Uncle Richard to interfere.

Closing her eyes, Ember thought of her Uncle John, and upon opening them, her orbs widened magnificently at the sight of her uncle, the man who had never shed a single tear, not even during her parents' funeral, reduced to a blubbering mess with the bottle of Firewhiskey she had gifted him with last year, half-empty by the ground. His sapphire blue eyes kept flickering agitatedly toward his phone, and Ember knew that her beloved uncle was waiting for Jenna to call him with news regarding her condition.

"Child?"

"I can't," she wept, violently wiping the tears from her face. "I want to go back, I can't watch them suffer any longer. Take me back, Qetsiyah. But first," she whirled around to confront the ancient witch, "Tell me the truth. You haven't given me much; you're hiding a lot of information from me."

"Yes I am," Qetsiyah admitted, "But only because the truth should not be revealed yet. I want you to maintain the balance, try changing my descendants' beliefs from my vindictive sister's lies. There will come a time, when powerful beings begin to surface, and _that_ is when you will be ready, for there are still _too_ _much_ left unsaid."

Chuckling humorlessly, Ember smiled, "Don't tell me I'm going to have to die every time you need to update me, because seriously Qetsiyah, they will turn me into a lab rat, experimenting on my miraculous resurgence. ET will happen."

Two raven brows knitted together in confusion, "I know not who this ET is, however, no my child, I will be able to appear to you easily now that we have formed a connection. Do not fret, whenever you need me, I shall appear to you. But be wary, for dangerous times lay ahead, and you must keep your family and friends close, work together and both you and I shall restore the balance in the world."

"It's nice doing business with you," Ember beamed, embracing the ancient witch.

"Blessed be, my child."

* * *

Emerald eyes snapped open to a darkened room, and as the redhead adjusted to the shadows, she noticed Jeremy's head inches away from her hand. Lethargically, she shifted her right hand and dug her fingers into his greasy hair, feeling a stab of guilt that her baby brother hadn't left her bedside in god knows how many days. After a few seconds of massaging his head, Jeremy twitched awake and after blinking away the remnants of sleep from his bleary chocolate orbs, they widened and for the first time in three days, his face broke out into a smile, "Em-, Ember! You're awake!"

"Hey, Jer-" she was instantly reduced into a violent coughing fit which prompted Jenna, Elena and Caroline to wake up immediately. Tears cascaded down Jenna's face and she immediately shot out of her seat and offered her a glass of water from the bedside table, positioning the straw in her mouth. "How long was I out?"

"Thr-three days," Elena cried, too scared to hug her twin in case she harmed her, but Ember's face lost all pallor and color began seeping into her visage, "Wh-what happened? You scared us, Em! Don't you ever leave me again!"

"Never," Ember grinned, feeling energized as the memory of her time with Qetsiyah filled her mind.

Caroline hesitantly approached her bedside, "Do you know what happened? You _died_ Em, it took three hours to resuscitate you and then they said you were in a coma and if you survive you'd most probably have amnesia," she rambled; like Elena, Caroline Forbes was a rambler whenever she got upset or nervous.

Ember's eyes flickered from Stefan, who had just walked in at hearing her awaken, then to Jenna, Elena, Jeremy and Caroline, before opening her mouth, "There's a lot we need to talk about, but first, when the hell can I get out of here? I hate hospitals," she pouted.

Laughter ensued, and Caroline spoke up in a singsong voice, "Oh yeah, she's definitely back."

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Harold Potter – Daniel Radcliffe**_

 _ **Violet Potter – Maia Mitchell**_

 _ **Liz Forbes – Marguerite Maclntyre**_

 _ **Richard Lockwood – Robert Pralgo**_

 _ **Albus Dumbledore – Richard Harris**_

 _ **Qetsiyah – Zoe Saldana**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Another long chapter, but it was very important so I hope you all understood! XD**

 **So… Not Death! I bet none of you saw Qetsiyah coming huh? ;) I aim to shock everyone! LOL!**

 **First of all, Dear Readers; Qetsiyah will be a recurring character and she plays an important part. I know in canon she is the evil Bennett ancestor, but in my story she's different. I created Qadira, her younger sister who is an important plot twist to my story. In the conversation between Qetsiyah and Ember, I left many important factors out because it is still too soon in the story to be acknowledged, such as: Silas and the immortality potion and the cure… those shall be revealed later on in the story until at least** _ **after**_ **the Originals are introduced.**

 **I hope you liked the insight to Harold Potter's mind. And with Ember dying, Elena didn't find Katherine's picture and with Ember saving Emily's crystal, Damon wouldn't need to go to Georgia and Bree won't be killed by him …** _ **duh**_ **! ALSO; keep in mind, Albus Dumbledore's arrival, and the reason behind** _ **why**_ **he wanted to visit Ember in privacy is VERY important to the story.**

 **To those who wanted Ember to be the Mistress of Death, I am really sorry, but it was never a plot in my story. Ember being a champion to Qetsiyah is. Now listen up; I am sure some of you might be confused because I didn't include the change of Qetsiyah's background, but I cannot reveal everything otherwise there will be no story plots, be patient with me. XD. If you are confused over something in this chapter, send me a message and I'll let you know as long as it does not ruin the future plot for you all.**

 **Sorry for my blathering, but one last thing: Servant of Nature witches believe that they are the Keepers of the Balance, and in order to do that, they should destroy vampires. In my story, it is untrue; they are all falsified beliefs planted by Qadira, and now Qetsiyah wants Ember to fix it and maintain the balance as I mentioned in this chapter. I am soooo excited for the upcoming chapters where you will see how Qetsiyah plays a major role! XD**

 **R &R. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 12:**

The ringing nuance of laughter echoing from a certain redhead's room was like music to the ears of the occupants in the Gilbert Residence. The past three painstaking days had been filled with fear and grief and many tears had been shed, and so, the boisterous racket was a godsend to Jenna as she lavishly laid out actual edible breakfast in celebration for her niece's recovery and return from the gloomy hospital.

The lively and radiantly healthy redhead was currently twirling in front of her mirror, manically giggling at the sight of her room which clearly resembled the aftereffects of a typhoon; all the wardrobes were opened, clothes littered around the room as they were blindly flung and covering the bed and the floor and some even appeared in the bathroom. The three guilty perpetrators that abetted in demolishing the previously immaculate room reinstituted the pretend game 'Catwalk' they used to entertain for a brief period when they were twelve-year-old aspiring supermodels.

Caroline had on a turquoise spaghetti-strap tank top with a layered chiffon hem paired with high-waist white jeans and matching turquoise wedges; Elena was donned in a daring red off-the-shoulder ruffled blouse with frayed black denim shorts and black Grecian sandals; Ember decided to go with her favorite Millie Makintosh leaf print mini-dress and clad on her feet were matching sandals as Elena but in beige. The three giggling girls twirled in dizzying circles before flopping onto the bed and quickly coating their complexion with neutral makeup colors.

"So… Bonnie's avoiding me, huh?" Ember decided to introduce the elephant in the room; her sister and best friend visibly stiffened before Caroline sighed, snapped her compact mirror shut and softly clasped Ember's hands in both of hers, cornflower blue eyes staring solemnly into a pair of emerald gems while Elena awkwardly hovered in the background. "It's not _you_ that Bonnie is avoiding per say," Caroline cautiously uttered, "Your previous loop with death for _three days_ scared the shit out of like, nearly _everyone_ in town, Em. Bonnie feels guilty; she thinks that Emily temporarily killed you."

Pursing her lips in thought, Ember sighed and dragged a hand through her lustered curls, "Well, she's half right. Qetsiyah temporarily brought me over to the Other Side, but it's _not_ Bonnie's fault. I wish that she would just come right out and talk to me instead of dodging my calls," she frowned. After her horrible stint in the hospital, Ember immediately conveyed her confrontation with Qetsiyah to Elena, Caroline, Jenna and Jeremy, and while they were all grateful that she wasn't _actually_ dead, they were simultaneously curious and in awe over Ember being given the title of Qetsiyah's Champion and instantly promised to lend a helping hand whenever she needed it since they didn't believe the indoctrination drivel the Servants of Nature's zealously followed. It was a unanimous vote to keep the whole debacle from the Salvatore brothers since they were still a new inclusion in their lives and were better off staying out of it.

"It's not just you, Em. She's avoiding Care and I as well," Elena glumly confessed after deeming it safe to join in the conversation, "We kept _a lot_ from her. Every single one of us, and the way she found out wasn't exactly pleasant. She's been holed up in her Grams' house ever since you were admitted."

Blonde hair whipped around in the air, nearly smacking Ember's face as Caroline suddenly recalled a major issue, "Speaking of finding out things. The Brits also witnessed the whole vampire exposé. We should deal with them before they tell my Mom or worse, the Mayor. They're not exactly familiar with the history of this town." Caroline was really proud at how quick she acquainted herself with the entire gritty past of Mystic Falls' Founder's Council versus the vampires of 1864, proving that she wasn't just a pretty face and a stereotypical blonde cheerleader.

"They'd be daft to tell anyone," Ember pointed out immediately, coating her lips with a thin sheen of pearly pink gloss, her emerald orbs flickering between a concerned Caroline and a nodding Elena who was more knowledgeable in anything supernatural and magical. "The Statute of Secrecy still applies to them, remember?" Ember grinned cheekily, flipping her curls so they could cascade neatly down her waist, "Anyways, I'll _ugh!_ I'll speak with them before we have our pow-wow with Stefano."

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Elena said, "And you're still _not_ going to tell me why exactly we're going to interrogate my boyfriend after school?" Groaning loudly, Ember massaged her temples, Elena had been nagging her nonstop ever since she informed her of an important conversation they needed to hash out with the broody vampire, "I already told you, Laney, this is something you need to hear from him, _trust me_."

A beat of silence ensued before Elena's pouty lips broke out into a teasing smile, " _Always_ , oh Witch Champion." The blonde and brunette began to curtsey and Ember playfully smacked them, " _Qetsiyah's_ Champion! And it's not a big deal."

Before any more mocking words could be traded, a jubilant Jeremy interrupted them, stating that breakfast was ready, prompting a fond smile from the redhead. Ever since she returned from the hospital, Jenna would randomly break out in tears, Jeremy would constantly follow her with his eyes ensuring she was still breathing, Elena had been clingy and made it a habit to remain a hairsbreadth away from her person, Caroline had basically moved into her room, and Uncle John relentlessly texted her for the sake of his peace of mind. Ember honestly didn't blame them not one bit, she couldn't imagine if the roles were reversed and she ended up watching any of her loved one's die, and she would probably adopt a mother-hen façade, but it was seriously becoming suffocating – she wasn't a China Doll!

"Woah, nice spread Jenna," Ember pecked her beaming aunt on the cheek and the five of them congregated around the table for the first family breakfast that hadn't been done since Grayson and Miranda died. "So, Jeremy," Jenna started, focusing in on the youngest occupant in the house, "Did you pick a topic for your extra credit in History?"

Instead of failing Jeremy for his deplorable grades and his absentee in class when he was going through his blah stoner phase, Alaric Saltzman, the cool, non-douche substitute that took over Tanner's position, offered him an extra credit essay, which had Ember rethinking her cemented theory of all History Buffs being a snoozing bore and a major dick.

Jeremy's lips quirked mischievously, "Our ancestor Jonathan Gilbert and his deranged presuppositions regarding the existence of demons in town back in the 1800s."

"That's cheating," Caroline pointed out with a giggle; Jeremy shrugged, his brown eyes sparkling with mirth, "He said to make it interesting. Besides, it's not like he'll believe it and I'll score an easy A. It's a win-win scenario."

* * *

School had been a major bust; the whole student body flocked around her and barely gave her any breathing space as they pounced upon her in droves and crowed out adulatory well-wishes. Tyler met her eyes once, onyx orbs shining with relief before he returned to his previous role of ignoring her like the plague. Mrs. O'Shay, their English Teacher broke out into body-wracking sobs upon noticing her sitting in her customary seat and basically embarrassing her. The Brits stalked her every movement, their eyes practically burning with curiosity whenever Stefan happened to be around them, especially the bushy-haired beaver who had to be physically restrained by Ginny Weasley as the plethora of inquisitive questions were threatening to burst – definitely a bookworm with an unhealthy thirst for knowledge.

But worst of all, Bonnie seemed to have mastered ducking the redhead, the brunette and the blond, and Ember was incredibly frustrated with the stubborn-headed Bennett.

"Cheer up you two," Caroline perked up from the backseat of the car, "Bonnie will get over it soon and instigate conversation with us. Bonnie is known to be quite stubborn."

Elena scoffed bitterly, "That's an understatement."

Ember ignored the inane chattering that permeated the enclosed space of her car as she focused on the road and pondered over the two different sets of conversation that would be taking place. Even if Qetsiyah hadn't reassured her, Ember was confident that Stefan was falling in love with her twin, despite her being a freaky lookalike of a manipulative bitch; however, the nearing confrontation with those pestilent Brits had her hesitating and threatening to reverse her car and retreat to the sanctuary of her bedroom.

"Ugh _finally_!" Elena's eyes lit up as they were drawing near to the Salvatore Boarding House, "All this secrecy has my curiosity peaked."

Ember diminutively tore her eyes from the road and winked cheekily at her twin, "You know what they say Laney; curiosity killed the cat –"

"WATCH OUT!" Caroline suddenly shrieked in a high-pitched shrill; emerald and chocolate orbs widened on the hooded figure standing right in the middle of the road. With there being no lane to swerve into, Ember prayed to God and wished for good luck as she slammed the brakes, her life flashing right before her eyes. Elena's terrified scream meshed in with Caroline's screech as the hooded figure impacted with her windshield, and the car flipped, rotating twice in the air before colliding against a nearby tree and slamming onto the tarmac pavement.

Moaning in pain, Ember moved her head a fraction and breathed a painful sigh of relief when she caught the nanoscopic twitching of Elena's fingers. Unable to turn her head to face the backseat especially with the car upside down, Ember croaked, "Care? _Caroline_? You okay?"

"That's a really stupid question, Em," Caroline's attempt at humor was welcoming but the gurgling of her voice worried her; Caroline could barely move an inch as blood poured out her mouth, but her eyes worked perfectly fine as she let out a choked scream as they fixated on the movement of the figure in front of them, "Em, El, _look_!"

It was a strenuous effort on both parts, but the twins managed to focus their terrified orbs onto the suicidal shit that idiotically stood in the middle of the road and in unison, their eyes widened in horror, their hearts beating violently against their ribcage. His body was twitching and in a painstakingly slow motion, he shot up to his feet in full recovery and prowled toward the car in a predatory and calculated movement.

"Holy crap! He's a vampire," Ember cussed in a hoarse voice, and for the first time, Ember Gilbert, the smartest witch in three centuries felt completely useless; a defenseless damsel in distress. Hearing her sister and her best friend's rough coughing and frightened whimpers gave her enough strength to scream for help at the top of her lungs and was joined a second later by Elena. Just as his black-clad feet approached Elena's side, they disappeared and in the blink of an eye, Stefan and Damon's faces appeared on both sides of their window, eliciting three shrieks of surprise and terror from the three wounded girls.

"How ya doing in there?" Damon breathed out from Ember's side, a frown burrowing on his forehead, "Crap, you guys don't look too good."

"Gee, ya think? Great observational skills, dude," Ember coughed out, "Care you okay?"

When there was no response from their hyperactive, bubbly best friend, the twins began hyperventilating and were only soothed by Stefan's calming voice from Elena's side, " _Shh, shh,_ she's still alive, just unconscious. Damon and I are going to get you three out of here, okay." Thankful for Stefan's calming presence, the twins nodded mutely and watched from the peripheral of their vision as the two brothers made good use of their uncanny vampiric strength; they tore apart the seatbelts holding them firmly in place and pulled the doors open. Stefan quickly helped Ember and Elena onto their feet while Damon carried an unconscious Caroline in his arms, the bottom half of her face coated in blood and a nasty purple bruise beginning to materialize on the right side of her temple.

"How did-, how did you know we were in trouble?" Elena shakily uttered, one of her hands clasped tightly in Ember's, too afraid of losing her twin for the second time in this measly, accursed week.

Stefan effortlessly supported most of the girls' weight and grimly spoke up, "We left school at the same time, Elena, and you said you were coming directly afterwards. The Boarding House isn't far from the school, and when you were running late, I just-, I knew something was wrong. The second Damon and I walked out the front door, we could hear the three of your terrified screams."

"Ember? Oh, Merlin!" the familiar and unwelcome voice of James Potter boomed out from somewhere to her right, followed by Lily Potter's demand of, " _What happened_?!" But before Ember could spit out a biting remark, a painful moan followed by a gurgle of blood emanated from Caroline and the redhead and the brunette immediately yanked themselves from Stefan's supporting hold.

"Damon, we don't have time. One of you heal her quickly!" Elena cried out, squeezing Ember's hand into a numbing state. A soft sigh escaped Damon's full lips and in a tender action for the volatile vampire, he instantly bit into his wrist and carefully positioned it over her plump lips that were completely coated with congealed crimson. A cacophony of mutterings resonated the air once again from the nosy Brits, but the Gilbert twins and the Salvatore brothers only had eyes for the unconscious blonde who was slowly regaining color in her pallid face, the ugly bruise fading. Slowly, her eyelashes fluttered open to reveal a pair of disoriented cornflower blue orbs; brows knitted together in confusion as she met electric blue orbs before a soft sigh echoed around them upon locating the worried twins.

Carefully allowing Caroline to dazedly stand on her own two feet, Damon snarled, "Can you girls at least _try_ and keep the death certifying occasions to a minimum?! First Bonnie, then Ember and now you three, all in _one week_!"

Enraged over the destruction of her car, and nearly losing two of the most important people in her life, Ember whipped around and glared menacingly at the volatile Salvatore, " _Hey!_ You think I totaled my car on purpose? That fucker appeared out of absolutely _no_ whereand just _stood there_ in the middle of the road! I _mean, who fucking does that?!_ I didn't know there were suicidal vampires out there but hey, what do I know! ... _What_? What's that look for?" her voice instantly morphed from aggressive to suspicious as the two Salvatores traded worried frowns.

"You sure he was a vampire?" Damon asked instead; it was obvious that he was stalling, prompting a pair of emeralds to flash.

"Of course we're sure! He's supposed to have been _under_ the car once he impacted with the windshield, but instead, he caused the car to _flip over_. Not to miss out the obvious when he just _miraculously_ recovered and walked toward us without a hitch!" Elena snapped, waving her hands hysterically in the air.

Stefan grimaced and shook his head, "That wasn't a suicidal vampire, girls…"

"Nope, definitely _not_ suicidal," Damon took over the conversation since standing in the middle of the road and picking out victims was one of his specialty and favored games, "Either he's targeted one of you, or all three of you. Vampires are predators, we hunt, we stalk, and the stalking is often more exciting than the kill."

"Would someone like to tell us what in the bloody hell is going on?" Sirius finally snapped, having had enough with all the damn riddles, "You're vampires, but we've never seen your type before. How is that possible?"

Groaning inwardly, Ember glared at the nosy Brits congregated around them and snapped, "Look, we're kind of in the middle of something important here. I'll talk to you before I leave, but don't you dare utter a word of this to _anyone_! The Statute of Secrecy isn't the only thing at risk when it comes to this town." And not giving them time to retaliate with any more demanding inquiries, Ember dragged Elena and Caroline into the Boarding House and immediately got to work on healing hers and Elena's few scrapes and bruises from the accident; she didn't want to rely on vampire blood for everything unless, like Caroline, they were inches away from death. In the meantime, Damon called for a tow truck for an early start in repairing Ember's car.

"If I ever find that bastard, I am so sending him the bill," Ember muttered as she siphoned off all the blood from the blonde's face, eliciting a snort of laughter from the Salvatores and amused giggles from Elena and Caroline.

"So," Stefan made himself comfortable on the couch and wound an arm around Elena's waist, his face shining with curiosity, "You said there was something we needed to discuss…"

Wincing slightly, Ember shot an apologetic glance at a confused and highly curious Elena; not bothering to beat around the bush, she blurted out, "Stef, tell us the truth about Katherine, please."

Damon sent a sly smirk towards his speechless brother and immediately skulked off to the bar to pour himself a drink, deeply enjoying the predicament his little brother seemed to be in. Ember of course, couldn't exactly go right out and say how she found out, and so, spent her time going through the archives of Mystic Falls and finally scored jackpot when she located a grainy picture of Stefan and Katherine dancing at the Founders' Ball in the year 1864.

Rummaging through her purse, Ember slowly placed the offending picture on the table between them all and watched the chaos that would no doubt ensue. Elena's jaw dropped, her chocolate orbs widening in horror as a myriad of emotions ranging from confusion to suspicion to despair and finally anger passed by her visage, and she aimed a positively lethal glare at her boyfriend, "Stefan?! Is this-, am I-… am I Katherine to you? _Why_ , why would you-" She broke off into sobs, unable to articulate a coherent sentence; a part of Elena wanted to just run off and set a large distance between them, but the more logical part of her insisted she stay and hear him out, knowing that her sister would have informed her in private without any witnesses if the situation was as bad as she thought.

"Woah! This is some Freaky Friday shit right there," Caroline gasped, her eyes practically glued to the old photograph of Katherine who looked freakishly like Elena.

Deciding to take charge before Elena or Stefan put their foot in their mouth, or _worse_ , Damon returns with some flippant remark that would make everything a lot worse, Ember stared meaningfully at her twin and softly said, "Laney, believe me when I say this, Stefan loves _you_ , not for your looks, but your heart. Hear him out, kay?" Elena swallowed a lump from her throat, brushed away her tears and mutely nodded while Stefan shot the redhead a grateful smile.

Staring intensely into Elena's warm chocolate orbs, eyes that differed completely from Katherine's ruthless and unmerciful ones, Stefan spoke up in a voice filled with heartfelt emotions, conveying his utmost honesty, "You are _not_ Katherine. You are the complete _opposite_ of _everything_ that she was."

"Is it just me, or do you also feel like we're intruding on a private moment?" Caroline whispered in a hush, prompting Ember to playfully elbow her into silence. Elena pursed her lips, eyes boring into a pool of forest greens, "And when did you figure that out? _Before_ you kissed me? _Before_ we slept together?"

Unable to refrain her mouth filter from blurting out her thoughts, Ember said, "You guys _did_ use condoms right? Like I said before, too young to be an aunt," she smiled sheepishly; Damon snorted from somewhere in the house, Stefan bit the inside of his cheek to repress his amused smile, Caroline burst into fits of giggles and Elena gave her a deadpanned glare that didn't quite stop the blush from forming on her cheeks, "Not the time, Em! And _yes_ , we did, now _shush_!"

"Hold on a tick," Caroline interjected, biting her lips as a thought hit her, "So if Elena is descended from Katherine, does that make her part vampire?"

"Vampires can't procreate," Damon smirked as he made an appearance, a tumbler of bourbon in his hands as he slumped on the armchair opposite to Ember and Caroline. "But we _love to try_ ," he winked, bringing forth equal looks of disgust from the three girls, "No, but seriously, if you were related, it would mean Katherine had a child _before_ she was turned."

"Uh, na-uh. Your facts are wrong, Damon," Ember argued. "Vampires _can_ procreate. My friend Lyssandra is half-vampire, half-witch. Not to mention half-vampire Lorcan d'Eath who happens to be quite a hit with the ladies and is a _phenomenal_ singer." Damon and Stefan adopted a gobsmacked expression as they both gaped at her unattractively. Finally regaining the ability to use his vocal cords, Damon breathed out, "A vampire _cannot_ procreate, Ember, that's impossible. A witch cannot be a vampire, that's, that's-"

"Very possible," Ember interrupted, "But then again, magical vampires' physiology differs vastly from traditional ones. I think _your_ species cannot have children, but magical vampires can indeed. Or maybe there's some special spell or potion involved; I'll have to look into that. There are many half-vampires in my community, or at least, in America and Europe. And Asia. And Africa… well, everywhere excluding those close-minded, unconventional bigots in Britain," Ember sneered toward the end; she hated the pureblood propaganda that spread out in Britain, and was once again grateful that her father and uncle located her that night before the orphanage could, otherwise she would have been schooled in Hogwarts and become a part of those racist bastards.

Stefan cleared his throat, snapping Damon from his shock; the younger Salvatore was beginning to get used to the many wonders of Ember's world, and he wanted to finish the important conversation with Elena before Damon could shoot off a hundred-and-one questions. "To answer your previous question, Elena, I knew you were the opposite of Katherine _before_ I met you."

"Say what now?" Ember, Elena and Caroline chorused, freaking out the Salvatores with their synchronized speech. Stefan wished he could spare Elena the pain his next words would inevitably produce, but he loved the brunette, and she deserved the truth that had been kept from her for the entirety of her life, "The first day of school. When we met. It wasn't for the first time, Elena. I first met you on May 23rd, 2009."

Ember let out a sharp intake of breath and Caroline immediately pulled her in for a hug as the taboo date was uttered. Elena paled drastically, mouth opening and closing, nearly rendered speechless, "But that was…"

"That was the day your parents' car went off the bridge," Stefan concluded with a grimace.

Tears streamed down the Gilbert twin's face and Elena moved from Stefan's side to cuddle with her sister. Unable to speak, she allowed Ember to choke out, "You, you-you were there?"

Damon grimaced, he was not a fan of touchy feely moments, but he was the only one apparently as Blondie kept an arm around the twins and Stefan stared at them, his face grave, "Every couple of years I come back here, to see Zach and see my home. Last spring, I was out in the woods, by old Wickery Bridge, and I heard the accident. All of it. I was getting there, but not fast enough. The car was already submerged. Your dad was still… he was still conscious. I was able to get to him, but he wouldn't let me help him, until I helped you."

As the waterworks started, Damon crept out of the room as he recalled that same day when he met Elena first and compelled her to forget about him; a brainwave struck Ember, and Elena must have reached the same conclusion as she hysterically cried out, "Oh my god. When I woke up in the hospital, nobody could figure out how I got out of the car. They said it was a miracle."

"I went back for them," Stefan adamantly continued, not taking joy in the distressed faces of the girls in response to his words, "But it was too late. I couldn't- _I couldn't save them_. When I pulled you out, I looked at your face. You looked like Katherine. I couldn't believe the resemblance. After that, I spent months making sure you weren't her. I watched you. I learned everything that I could about you, and I saw that you were _nothing_ like Katherine. And I wanted to leave town, but, Elena, I couldn't. I couldn't leave without knowing you. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to, but you were _so_ sad."

Ember was torn between awh'ing over how romantic Stefan was, making a snarky comment about him being a creepy stalker, and burying herself under the duvet, crying herself to sleep over finally discovering the final moment of her parents life.

" _Why do I look like her_?" Elena whispered, her hand tightening on Ember's, and from the look on Stefan's face, they knew that they wouldn't like the answer. Ember noticed he was stalling, "Spit it out, Stefan! _Why_. Does. She. Look. Like. _Her_?!"

Grimacing, Stefan grudgingly acquiesced, "It didn't make _any_ sense to me. You were a Gilbert. She was a Pierce. But the resemblance was _too_ similar. And then I learned the truth." There was an ominous beat of silence, and all hell went loose as the next words came pouring out of Stefan's mouth, "You were adopted, Elena."

"Bull-FUCKING- _shit_!" Ember growled, standing up onto her feet and making a direct line to the Salvatore's trusty bar. Grabbing a bottle of tequila and three shot glasses, Ember filled them up and the three girls immediately knocked them back. Refilling the glasses, Ember spat out, "When I found out I was adopted, why the hell didn't they share that you were, too? _I don't get it!_ Is Jeremy adopted _as well_?" Ember snapped at the slightly intimidated vampire, but he hastily shook his head in negative.

"No. Elena, you and Ember's birth certificate from the city records, it says Elena and Ember Gilbert, Mystic Falls General. But there's _no_ record of your mother _ever_ being admitted. There are _no_ records of her _ever_ being pregnant. When Ember confided in me that she was adopted, my suspicions were affirmed that you were too."

Seeing that the twins were rendered speechless and were drowning in a puddle of tequila, Caroline took charge, "What else do you know, Stefan?"

Sighing forlornly, Stefan looked downtrodden, "For me to go any further, I would've had to look into the Pierce family, and I couldn't do that. It's too much of a risk. If someone found out I was asking about Katherine…" he shook his head and pulled a desolate Elena into his arms in an embrace, "Listen to me, _it doesn't matter_. _You_ are the woman that _I_ love _. I love you_."

As the two lovebirds began an ill-timed kissing session, Caroline aimlessly wandered off into the Boarding House, probably to snoop through their things, while Ember pondered over a thought that had been swimming in the recess of her mind ever since she had awoken from her coma; the way Qetsiyah articulated 'your _adopted_ twin' struck her as odd, almost as though the archaic witch _knew_ something that she didn't, something that had yet to come to light, and something that Ember would definitely be looking into.

"Laney," Ember called out, breaking up the bashful couple as they remembered they were in the presence of company, "You want me to concoct a Hereditary Potion for you?" Elena's eyes lit up at that and she instantly nodded her head while Stefan looked confused, "Hereditary Potion?"

Ember nodded, "Mm-hmm. During my last year at Ilvermorny, my Potions Professor instructed us to concoct the intricate potion. If done correctly, all it needs is a few drops of blood, and it basically lists down your entire family tree. But it's time-consuming and the ingredients are rare and expensive. It'll take me at least a month or two to make."

 _Ember just loved being a witch!_

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _A week has gone by since my last entry, but hey, I've got the perfect excuse._

 _ **I died.**_

 _My death was a complete out of body experience, one that I am in no rush to repeat. Thank Circe, Qetsiyah will be able to materialize in front of me whenever she wants without my soul passing on for a brief period, 'cause seriously, dying is not as fun as its cooked up to be._

 _Not even a few days had gone by since my awakening and already I took another tumble with death; well near-death. I wonder if Bonnie, Caroline, Elena and I are magnets for danger like Bella was from the Twilight Saga; in a sheer week, each one of us nearly died… hell, I_ _ **did**_ _die and nearly did today; how mind-boggling is that?_

 _According to Damon and Stefan, either Elena, Caroline or I (or maybe even all three of us) have a target on our back by this vagabond vampire who seriously_ _ **will**_ _be paying for the destruction of my car! I am certain that we will persevere when it comes to this vampire; I am more interested in the fact that my twin ended up being adopted as well._

 _A part of me wants to rant and rave and curse Mom and Dad for keeping it a secret from us. I mean, I already found out the truth about my birth, why the hell didn't they hit two birds with one stone and inform Elena? It would have been easier for them, and Elena deserved to know the truth. I, at least understand_ _ **exactly**_ _what Laney is going through since I went through the same experience seven years ago; it will take Elena time to adjust and process the shocking and ugly truth, but in time, she'll learn to adjust._

 _One thing I know for certain; whoever her birth parents are, they cannot compare to, nor will they ever take the place of our Mom and Dad. Despite all the secrecy and deceit, they raised us, nurtured us, took us in and gave us a wonderful life. I cannot even imagine my life without Elena as my twin and Jeremy as my little brother, and for that, I will always love my parents, for they too, were the best parents a child could ever wish for._

 _Elena and I decided that it was best to confront Jenna and confide in Jeremy tomorrow since it is a weekend and we'll have more time for a Gilbert family debate. Hopefully Jenna has some answers and I won't need to concoct the intricate Hereditary Potion; nevertheless, I think it's best we find out Elena's family tree and nail Katherine Pierce so we can see how exactly they are related … Merlin, I still find it odd that my twin is the lookalike of and related to that manipulative bitch, but hey, no family is perfect… in fact, everybody has a crazy relative somewhere in their family tree._

 _The confrontation with the Potters and the Blacks was unfortunate and inevitable. Before Stefan dropped Elena, Caroline and I to our respective houses, I quickly summarized the traditional vamps, and swore them to secrecy since the Founder's Council are actually vampire hunters. For Brits, they didn't seem to be prejudiced against magical creatures which was a huge bonus, because I really wasn't looking forward to setting Damon loose on them where he would threaten them into silence. I may hate them, but that didn't mean I wished death upon them._

 _I think that's all for now, Dear Diary; I will get to the bottom of Qetsiyah's weird phrasing; I will get started on the Hereditary Potion and make a trip to Liberty Lane tomorrow, most probably meet up with a few friends and take a break from the damn circus Mystic Falls turned out to be; I am adamant in getting Bonnie to talk to me… she may be stubborn, but it is nothing when compared to how stubborn_ _ **I**_ _can be when I want to._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

* * *

Gregory Bane hated the rare days when he ended up remaining at MACUSA after midnight, but today seemed to be one of those days. Sighing, the President signed his name on the letter and waited for his eagle owl, Zeus to arrive; he had heard of Ember's odd ailment and subsequent miraculous recovery from John, and he knew it was in relation to magic and not medicine. His daughter, Reina, was one of Ember Gilbert's closest friends from Ilvermorny, and had been worried sick. Therefore, he promised her to arrange a date to visit the enchanting redhead at Mystic Falls over the next few days.

Sending the letter off with Zeus, Gregory stretched his stiff limbs and readied himself to floo home for an extremely late dinner with his wife; unfortunately, the comforts of home were not in the cards for the President that night. Two of the MACUSA's best Aurors respectively knocked on his office door looking out of breath and deeply disturbed, and Gregory felt his stomach churn, an ominous sensation vibrating against his person.

"Auror Prett, Auror Carac, what seems to be the problem? I was jsut on my way out," Gregory barked; he was one of the most venerable and esteemed Presidents to have been elected at the Magical Congress since Seraphina Picquery and Emily Rappaport, and was a damn well better ruler than that foolish Minister in Britain, that pompous simpleton Fudge notorious for accepting bribes more than anyone could count.

"I apologize, Mr. President, sir, but this could not wait till tomorrow," Auror Brianna Carac spoke up, and to Gregory's utmost curiosity, Auror Jeff Prett held a vial filled with a memory. Sighing forlornly as he thought of the hot meal his beloved wife, Faith saved for him, Gregory brought out his pensieve and plunged inside, quickly followed by Aurors Jeff Prett and Brianna Carac.

 _A wizard donned in a long cloaked hood, his face covered with a silver mask that was ominously familiar was cornered by Prett and Carac, disarmed and held at wand-point._

" _What brings you on American soil, wizard?" Carac venomously spat, her wand directed on his right temple while Prett had his situated on the anonymous wizard's left._

 _The masked wizard burst out into sinister laughter and with his free hand, Prett unmasked the assailant, eyes widening in recognition. "Wilkes!" he hissed._

" _Again, what brings a Death Eater onto American soil? You are far from home, filth," Carac growled; it was no secret that the American wizarding community despised Voldemort and the rest of the bigoted fools and loyal followers._

 _Wilkes sneered, "And why should I tell you?"_

" _Either way, the truth will come out. We are to escort you to the Magical Congress for questioning!" Prett spoke up and unlike Carac, he managed to get a better hold on his temper._

 _Wilkes spat on the ground next to Carac's feet, "No use. I have failed my Lord with my untimely capture, but it matters not. As long as the Girl-Who-Lived remains in America we will continue pursuing her! She cannot escape us! The Dark Lord is searching for her and will kill her and the Dark shall prevail!" and before another word could be uttered, Wilkes swiftly brought forth a silver dagger and slit his throat._

The President and two Aurors were regurgitated from the pensieve as the memory came to its fruition. Fear clutched Gregory's heart; despite Ember stating herself as neutral in the war, Voldemort was still coming after her.

"Sir, what do we do?" Brianna Carac hesitantly inquired.

With a determined stance, Gregory Bane squared his shoulders, "We hire more Aurors, man the boundaries, and prepare for war!"

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Gregory Bane – Eric Dane**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **How did you like this chapter?! XD**

 **This was more of a filler chapter; I couldn't axe the scene where Elena finds out that she's adopted as it is very important to the story… duh! More action to come in later chapters, with many surprises and plot-twists, and … oh-oh, Voldemort is still searching for the Girl-Who-Lived? Even after she chose to have no part in the war… what does that mean for Ember and her family? What does it mean for Mystic Falls? Da-da-dummm…**

 **You didn't think I forgot about our resident Dark Lord now, did ya? ;)**

 **Next chapter; a high school dance where they always end up battling vampires & a confrontation with Jenna &… more surprises to come! XD**

 **R &R.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 13:**

Despite it being a Saturday, Ember woke up at the crack of dawn, _hours_ before any normal high school student would on a weekend; the redhead however, wasn't normal and had a family to protect. Being rendered useless and totally incapable of using the potent magic coursing through her veins terrified Ember greatly and deeply wounded her pride, and the thought of that vagabond vampire targeting her or Elena, or even both, unsettled her. During Ember's final year at Ilvermorny, a Warding course was offered as an elective, unfortunately with her full schedule, she was unable to attend, and so, the ambitious redhead bought a plethora of books on the subject, and had her friend, Lana Biggins, an expert in warding who came from a family of warders, educate her in its intricacies.

Knowing that Elena would immediately pounce on Jenna during breakfast about her adoption status, Ember cast an alarm charm on her wand to vibrate by dawn, and after concluding her morning routine in the bathroom, got to work. Ember perused through a few warding textbooks and internally berated herself for getting sidetracked in locating a few protective runes to border their house from vampires and basically _anyone_ with cruel intentions. Three hours later, Ember stood by the front door and undid both, the Intruder Charm and the Repello Inimicum Charm tied to Damon Salvatore, since he more than proved he meant them no harm, especially after she protected his crystal from Emily's backstabbing clutches. Ever since she discovered the Salvatores were a different species of vampires, Ember went on a full-scale shopping spree at the two reputable stores, Warren's Warding and Best of Runic, both of which were situated in Le Fay Lane, California's wizarding district.

Jotting down her notes and calculating a few runic equations, Ember had a smile of satisfaction etched on her beautiful features, and since her plan of protecting the Gilbert household required a charitable contribution from her siblings and aunt, the redhead decided to cook breakfast. The mouth-watering aroma of pancakes, bacons and eggs wafted throughout the entire house, and just as Ember laid the platters on the kitchen table, the sound of dragging feet resonated and emeralds met three groggy and disheveled expressions.

Emitting a wide yawn, Jenna's brown orbs gleamed in delight at the scrumptious layout, "Ember, wow! That looks amazing."

"How long have you been up?" Elena asked, skipping over to sit next to her twin, opposite to Jenna and a bleary-eyed Jeremy who had yet to acknowledge anyone in his drowsy state. Shrugging nonchalantly, Ember piped up in a chirpy nuance that had Jeremy wincing from the intensity, "Oh ya know, the crack of dawn." Three dumbfounded stares met her response, and Jeremy finally blurted out in a sort of, kinda, accusing tone, "It's a _weekend_ , Em."

"Yeah, well… I had important stuff to do. Now eat up. We have _a lot_ to discuss after breakfast," Ember's statement had Jenna and Jeremy gazing at her in confusion, ensued by a grateful smile from Elena who squeezed her hand in silent thanks. The clinging and clanging of cutleries scraping against the plates and moans of approval pervaded the air, and once Jenna piled the mountain of dirty dishes in the sink, Elena loudly clapped her hands twice and announced in a solemn tone, "Alright. Family meeting you guys. Chop, chop!"

The second the four of them made themselves comfortable on the couches in the living room, Elena pounced, in no mood to beat around the bush and sugarcoat her anger and hurt, "Jenna. _Why_ didn't you tell me I was adopted?!" Ember recoiled at the tension which met Elena's incensed words; Jeremy's jaw comically dropped and he gaped at the three females in confusion and denial while Jenna looked like the perfect replica of a deer caught in the headlights, her mouth opening and closing, tongue-tied. " _Well_?" Elena probed, her chocolate orbs focusing intently on Jenna's lighter shade of brown.

"Yo-your parents, they, they _wanted_ to tell you, Elena," Jenna stammered, but before she could articulate a few more words together, Ember heatedly butted in, " _Why_ didn't they confess after I found out the truth about _my_ adoption? It would have been easier on all of us!"

Facepalming, Jenna inhaled and exhaled deeply before sliding her eyes from incensed chocolates to emeralds and back again, "Like I said, your parents _wanted_ to tell you. The plan has always been to tell you once you graduated from High School. _Both_ of you. That was the plan, until Professor Rindaver showed up. Ember when your adoption came to light, your negative reaction terrified Miranda, you alienated yourself from your entire family for _two month_ s until John had a talk with you. Grayson decided it was best to inform Elena so that both of you could help each other out, since despite your biological parents, you two have always been closer than twins should be…" she trailed off and bit her lips, light brown eyes watering slightly at the memory.

"But?" Elena asked, her anger melting away with the discovery that her father wanted to confess.

Focusing once again on Elena, Jenna gave her a bitter smile, " _But_ , Miranda was convinced that you would never forgive them, and that both of you would hate them. Don't blame your mother, you two. For years, Miranda and Grayson were trying so hard to have a baby, and it just wasn't happening. All Miranda ever wanted was to be a mom." Sucking in a deep breath, Jenna reached out for Jeremy's hand, who had yet to snap his jaw shut, "Then one night, your dad was about to leave the office when this girl showed up. She was sixteen, a runaway, and about to give birth. He delivered the baby, and he gave her a place to stay, but a few days later, she disappeared, and you were there. …Then over a year later, your Dad and John found Ember abandoned by that orphanage in England, and with you two being the same age, they took you in and with your dad being a doctor, he filled out the documentation, validating that the two of you are fraternal twins. Shortly afterwards, your parents were blessed with a miracle when Miranda found out she was pregnant with Jeremy."

Snorting humorlessly, Jeremy swallowed the huge lump from his throat and finally spoke up, "And here I was expecting another tragic story about how they adopted me."

"No, Jeremy you weren't adopted," Jenna shook her head with a soft smile before focusing on the struggling twins who were trying to process the new information. "Miranda feared Elena wouldn't take well to being adopted right after Ember discovered the truth, and your father couldn't deny your mother anything, so they decided to keep it a secret until Elena graduated, and then the accident happened."

"What else do you know about her? The girl?" Elena was seriously wondering the coincidence of both her and her twin's biological parents just dumping them without a word. Jenna's face morphed into one of sorrow, "Just her name. Isobel."

Jeremy's eyes narrowed in on his older sisters, "How did you find out you were adopted anyways?" His question was followed with a rollercoaster of emotions as the twins explained how Elena was Katherine's doppelgänger, the vampire interaction which totaled Ember's car and nearly ended their lives along with Caroline's, and lastly, Stefan being the reason behind Elena's miraculous survival. Jenna and Jeremy bemoaned the fact that Grayson and Miranda had been beyond rescuing, but were immensely grateful to Stefan for saving Elena, both of them unable to imagine living onwards without Elena in their life.

"So, I think the most important question should be, who the hell was that vampire on the road?" Jenna was furious; Ember as her niece, Jenna held no prejudice against magical creatures and such, but ones with spiteful intentions was where she drew the line, and her protective instincts surged… the need to tear apart that vampire who dared harm her nieces was overwhelming. Jeremy too was raging, his chocolate orbs darkening with hate over the fact that he nearly lost two sisters last night.

Ember shrugged, "We never saw his face. He was wearing a hoodie. All I remember is that there was these black boots coming toward us. Thank god for Stefan and Damon."

"What now?" Jeremy quizzed, his face morphed into utmost worry, and his brows knit together in concern. Slapping her hands against her thighs, Ember stood up with a cheeky smirk, "Now, we add to our protection. With those bracelets I made for each of you and vervain permanently tattooed on our bodies, _personally_ we are protected, but not entirely. The house is _severely_ lacking. Unlike magical vampires, these traditional or whatever they are called, vampires are not easily detected, I mean, they have no distinguishing features that differentiates them from us regular Joes and Janes."

Shrewdly, Elena's lips curved into a smirk in resemblance to her twin's, "That's why you woke up at an ungodly hour… you found a way to protect the house from evil intent, didn't you?"

"Right-O," Ember winked, prompting Jenna and Jeremy's face to relax. "I've been distracted the past few weeks with everything that's been going on, but today I finally found a solution to our dilemma. Three things are required: a ward-stone, runes, and a generous amount of blood from each one of us."

After that, Ember got to work. Jenna, Jeremy and Elena donated a pint of blood along with Ember which she kept under a preservation charm followed up by a small dose of blood-replenishing potion each; next Ember retrieved a shovel, duplicated it twice and handed one each to her siblings and aunt and were currently digging a deep hole in the front yard under a notice-me-not charm in regards to their neighbors. While they were digging, Ember took out the stationary she bought from Best of Runes that were specifically meant to draw runes and focused on meticulously carving Norse Runes on the ward-stone. It was an intricate piece of magic since Ember didn't want the wards tied only to her, but Jenna, Elena and Jeremy as well; therefore, she carved a variety of powerful runes of protection and everlasting runes dipped in and painted with each of their donated blood, coating the ward-stone entirely. It was nightfall when they completed their tasks, and Ember joined the sweaty and grimy trio in the front yard, inspecting the deep hole they managed to dig with approval.

Slowly, Ember levitated the ward-stone into the immensely deep ditch and incanted a few spells; a permanent sticking charm that could only be dispelled by her, tied to her magical signature only, along with an unbreakable charm, a water-proof charm just in case, and an untarnished charm. Elena, Jenna and Jeremy silently observed as Ember magically filled the hole with sand, regrew the grass and spelled it to look unblemished; they stared in awe as the ditch they spend hours digging appeared completely immaculate as though it hadn't been touched at all. The redhead then proceeded to reiterate the previous spells onto the unblemished lawn before closing her eyes, her face radiating with a triumphant smile as she sensed the magic buzzing and connecting with her entire being.

"Done," Ember turned to face her family, leading them back into the house for a well-deserved shower, "If anyone, whether they be human, witch, wizard, vampire, werewolf, basically any being… if anyone passes through the boundary of the house with evil intent, we will be informed. The runes I traced on the ward-stone were painted with each of our blood, so we will immediately be alerted."

Jenna and Elena cheered in victory as they both let out relieved laughs while Jeremy crowed out, "You're a genius, Em. Truly, you are."

* * *

Ember's ingenuity in planting the ward-stone was tested the very next night; Caroline came over for dinner with the Gilberts and they unanimously voted for pizza delivery. Jenna was lazily flicking through the channels on the television, Jeremy was sketching on the dining room table, Ember and Caroline were in a deep discussion about the magical community, and Elena was pacing around the room trying to reach out to Bonnie who was adamantly ignoring her numerous calls.

" _Ugh_. I'm starving! How long does it take to deliver pizza around here?" Caroline suddenly whined; the words barely left her lips when the three Gilberts and Jenna simultaneously froze, their stances turning rigid. "What?" Caroline asked in perplexity, alarm bells ringing in her head at their reaction.

The hyperactive blonde's nervous inquiry was ensued by the ringing of the doorbell, her confusion surmounting when none of them moved forward to answer the door. A few tense seconds later, Ember slowly placed a finger on her lips, and doffed her wand from its invisible wandholster and kept it behind her back as she ambled toward the front door, the other four following in her wake. Plastering on a fake smile, the redhead swung the door open, her emeralds landing on a young man with cropped black hair and dark brown eyes; suspicion surmounted and a small smirk tugged on the corner of her plump lips once she took note of the three towering pizzas in his hands.

"Jenna, got any money?" Ember asked nonchalantly, her eyes never detaching from the smiling 'pizza delivery boy'. Jenna immediately went to retrieve her wallet from her purse and warily handed over twenty dollars to the redhead. She felt a familiar energy to the first time she met Damon, back when he was a murdering ass, which, paired with the lack of magical signature, and Ember recognized him as a vampire. Flicking her wand behind her back, Ember took great pleasure in watching the wide-eyed shock on the vampire's visage at seeing the pizzas levitate across the threshold and into Jeremy's open hands. "Vampire posing as a pizza delivery guy, I'd go ahead and give you points for creativity along with the change, but something tells me YOU where the one who wrecked my precious car."

Flabbergasted, the vampire stammered out, "How did you-"

" _Know_?" Ember interjected, "Well, I didn't know you were the vampire that wrecked my car until you failed to deny the accusation. Listen up chump, stay the _hell_ away from my family! You won't like the consequences. I don't like killing, so I'm gonna give you one last chance to make the right decision. Now fuck off, no money for you until your debt for ruining my car is paid. Sayonara!" And without further ado, Ember slammed the door shut on the angry and confused vagabond vampire's face.

It wasn't until they watched the vampire leave the premises did Caroline gasp in awe, "I cannot believe it. Your protection ward thingy worked!"

"Why didn't you stun him and question him?" Jeremy demanded, "He's obviously after you or Elena since he tried to get an invite."

Ember averted eye-contact and tried to shrug indifferently, "I don't want to be an executioner until I have to. I gave him a warning and a last chance at life, if he blows it, then I'll eliminate him." Maybe it was because of her friendship with Stefan and Lexi, her developing one with Damon, or her promise to Qetsiyah and role as her Champion, or maybe it was because her extremely close friendship with Lyssandra aroused in her a soft spot toward vampires, but Ember couldn't stomach killing the vagabond – _yet_. At the end of the day, her family _always_ came first; Ember hoped the anonymous vampire wouldn't blow the last chance she benevolently gave him.

* * *

Walking into the Grill, Ember's smile dimmed upon noticing the Potters, the Blacks, the three Weasleys, and none other than the old fart Dumbledore gathered in a long table with some dude garbed completely in gothic black with greasy neck-length hair curtaining his sallow face and an incredibly hooked nose. Elena huffed and sent the table a lethal glare before tugging Ember alongside her where Caroline and Bonnie sat waiting for them. Emeralds and chocolates scrutinized their caramel-skinned best friend before embracing her in a tight three-way hug.

"What made you decide to start talking to us again?" Elena asked after they ordered their food, giddy over the fact that after one week of dodging, Bonnie was finally ready to forgive them for all the secrets they kept from her. Ducking her head in shame, Bonnie mumbled out, "My grams. She, uh, she told me that I was acting ridiculous and that, although I have a right to be mad, things won't fix itself out if I keep avoiding you guys. Besides," she regained her confidence and flashed them a timid smile, "We've been best friends since diapers, I owe it to you three to hear you out."

"I wanted to tell you, Bonnie. I swear!" Ember blurted out, her eyes conveying the honesty of her words, "There's this whole International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy law that forbids me from telling anyone that isn't family. I told Care because she swore she wouldn't say a word, _and_ because it was unsafe for her to remain in the dark."

Caroline chirped in, "Example, me stupidly dating Damon Salvatore." Ember tried to ignore the disapproving glare Bonnie sent Caroline and continued, "You on the other hand, you're an entirely different kind of witch with your own brand of magic. I thought you'd be safe and that Grams would tell you. Obviously not."

"She didn't want me involved in vampire business," Bonnie admitted, "Right after I left the hospital, I went over to her place and she told me _everything_. She didn't know anything about you though."

"I'm a witch, just a totally different kind, and not to be arrogant, more powerful with the ability to use my magic freely. Unlike Servants of Natures, me and my kind do not channel our magic from the spirits, we have our own conduit, a wand." Seeing Bonnie's skeptical expression, Ember rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I know, sounds unbelievable, but it's true. That Boarding School for the talented and gifted children I attended for six years was actually a magic school in Massachusetts called Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Bonnie perked up, her hazel-green eyes widening impressively. The waiter distributed their food and retreated to another table; in between bites of her salad, Ember explained everything to Bonnie, until she finally believed that she wasn't being Punk'd by her friends and settled on an awestruck emotion. "That's amazing. My Grams told me that using too much magic can weaken us and eventually kill us. She even told me that the spirits judge us, forbid us and stuff."

"We don't have that," Ember negated, appreciative once again over her different witch status; "Witches and wizards are born with innate magic coursing through our veins. Our wands are like an important limb to us, and although generating too much magic and tiring ourselves could deplete our magical core, after we reach the age of majority, which by the way is seventeen, we no longer are at risk unless we use extremely powerful spells for days on end without pause. A potion or a few hours of sleep would make us right as rain."

Caroline fluttered her eyelashes and gave Bonnie a pouty, puppy-dog stare, "Do you forgive us for keeping you in the dark?"

Bonnie tried and dismally failed to keep a stern façade as her face broke out into a large smile and she nodded enthusiastically, "I do. _But_ promise me, _no more secrets_ , okay?" Ember bit her lip, and it was only after receiving a subtle nod from Elena did she spill the beans about her temporary tango with death and meeting her ancestor Qetsiyah, ensuring that she included every single detail and the promise she made along with her title as Qetsiyah's Chosen Champion. It took a while for a gobsmacked Bonnie to process the astonishing and completely disbelieving news, "Let me get this straight. You're telling me, that my ancient ancestor Qetsiyah is pro-vampires and that her younger 'evil' sister, Qadira was the one that spouted biased views about vampires to each of her descendants because she was scorned by a lover."

"Uh-huh," Elena, Ember and Caroline intoned in complete unison.

"R _ii_ ght," Bonnie swallowed, disbelief and anger the main expression on her face, "Well, you're gonna have to forgive me for not agreeing with you, Em. My Grams was taught to _hate_ vampires. They are abomination-"

" _You see_!" Ember growled, unable to keep a lid on her famous temper, " _That,_ that right there is _exactly_ what I'm talking about. You're all brainwashed by your vindictive ancestor. Vampires _are_ a major part of the _balance_ of nature, _not an abomination of nature_." At the defiant look on Bonnie's face, Ember knew the stubborn girl wouldn't budge on her feelings, causing the redhead to massage her temples and softly say, "Look, I'm not expecting you or your Grams to miraculously change perspectives and have daily dinners with vampires, I mean, this indoctrination had been passed down through generations, almost two-thousand years back. I'm asking that you _try_ to change your beliefs. You know, humans without magic look at those with magic like me and you, and they call us freaks and abominations and Satan's spawn and burn us at the stake. Servants of Natures are merely being hypocrites when they spout off the exact same beliefs regarding vampires."

Their booth was engulfed with complete silence following Ember's impassionate speech, and Bonnie looked torn between defiance and uncertainty. Finally, Bonnie sighed wearily, "I'll talk to my Grams, but I make no promises, I mean, after what Damon did…" she trailed off, and much to the twin's immense surprise, Caroline scoffed loudly and _defended_ _Damon_ out of all people, "Bonnie, I am like, the _last_ person to ever board the Damon Salvatore Express after what he did to me, but-… that's a horrible excuse to hate the guy. He promised Emily that he would protect her descendants, _including_ you and your Grams, and in return, she would protect Katherine with that crystal. Your ancestor was bound by their deal and _she_ chose to betray _him_. That's unethical."

"Yeah, I guess," but from Bonne's tone, it was obvious that she totally disagreed with them, eliciting three sighs of exasperation. Ember suddenly focused on Jeremy who was shooting pool and trying to ignore some petite brunette that was practically following him and glued to his person. "Who dat?" Ember asked nobody in particular; Elena, Caroline and Bonnie whipped around to scrutinize the girl and shrugged in confusion. Soon after, Bonnie left to collect her dress for the 50s dance with promises to think over Ember's words and Caroline departed as well to get a head start on her hair and makeup leaving behind the twins to watch Jeremy avoid the petite girl in amusement.

"Hello, Ember."

Ember yelped loudly and jumped in her seat, prompting a few people in the Grill to stare at her questioningly, but the redhead was absorbed on the familiar face of Qetsiyah who was currently lounging comfortably in Bonnie's abandoned place like she completely belonged in the twenty-first century. "Qetsiyah? What are you doing here?" she hissed.

" _Qetsiyah_? Wait, wha-, she's _here_? Like in the Grill?" Elena stammered out. Ember nodded and frowned, "Yeah, she's sitting in Bonnie's vacant seat, wh-, you can't see her, can you?"

The two-thousand-year-old dead witch smiled warmly at the redhead, "No, Ember, like I told you before. You are my Chosen Champion, allowing you to pass over to the Other Side, over to me, it created a bond between us, only you have the ability to see me. Now, I just came to tell you two things. First of all, thank you for keeping your word and trying to proselytize my descendant, although stubbornness is an inherent Bennett trait, so be patient with her. Second of all, while I applaud your compassion toward the vampire yesterday, it is fruitless, dearie. Noah is his christened name, and he will ignore your warning, and he isn't the only one. Noah journeyed to Mystic Falls with two accomplices, all three of whom have a secret agenda. Beware my Champion. _Beware!_ " and with that ominous and honestly, dramatic farewell, Qetsiyah disappeared into thin air.

"Wait, what? Oh c'mon, Qetsy! You can't just show up, tell me that and leave without- _UGH!_ " Ember angrily threw her hands into the heavens and slumped into her seat with an angry pout. Elena hesitantly poked her twin, "Uh, what just happened?"

Throwing down a few dollar bills on the table, Ember called Jeremy over, who looked extremely grateful for the excuse to create distance between him and his stalker, and dragged her siblings out the door, ignoring the old fart who kept beckoning for her attention. The fresh breeze impacted with their faces and as they approached Elena's car, a disgruntled Jeremy halted in his steps and asked, "What does Dumbledick want?"

"I don't know, and frankly, I don't care either. We've got bigger problems right now. Qetsiyah appeared to me, apparently we've got company. There are _three_ vampires in town other than the Salvatores, with a secret agenda. Call Stefan, have him bring Damon to the dance as a chaperone," Ember stated, allowing no room for a rebuttal.

Unbeknownst to the three frazzled Gilberts, Noah stood leaning against a tree at the end of the street, a nefarious grin spreading onto his face and he mentally changed his plans for the night. He had a ball to crash.

* * *

James sighed loudly, his hazel orbs scoping the many seventeen-year-olds as they laughed loudly, danced exuberantly and mingled with their fellow peers; he stood with Lily, Sirius and Marlene, all four of whom had elected to be chaperones for the fifties dance to keep an eye on Harry, Cassiopeia, Ronald and Hermione, while Ginny, Violet and Leo remained at Black Manor under Bill's watch. But most importantly, the desolate father was trying to locate the daughter he abandoned, and it wasn't until Sirius let out a sharp intake of breath, his stormy gray eyes focused intensely on the entrance of the gym, did James finally behold her.

Ember Gilbert looked beyond gorgeous; her long crimson curls were styled in a bouffant hairdo, and her hourglass figure was accentuated by a tight, cap-sleeved Victorian aesthetic praline and caramel dress that flared from her waist and reached her knee line with black embroideries. Her arm was linked with Damon Salvatore's while Elena's was linked with Stefan's, and James felt an overprotective sensation surge in his belly at the thought of his daughter with a vampire. He was in no means bigoted or prejudiced in regards to magical creatures, after all, his best friend was a werewolf, but James would have preferred Ember to remain far away from their kind, especially with their immortality rate.

"Jenna! Hello," Marlene's voice snapped James from admiring his daughter from afar, which he had been doing for nearly the entirety of the dance, and his hazel orbs settled on the caramel-haired, brown-eyed woman who held the title as Ember's adoptive aunt and legal guardian. "Oh, and Mr. Saltzman. You're chaperoning as well, huh," trust Marlene to thaw out the ice. Sirius etched on his charming grin as he snaked an arm around his confident wife's waist.

Jenna's smile was forced as she glared at James and Lily, though it softened when she instigated eye-contact with Sirius and Marlene. James didn't blame her, after all, it was his and Lily's decision, approved by Albus to drop Rose … _Ember_ on the doorstep of that orphanage; Sirius, Marlene and Remus were oblivious since they were away for two weeks doing a mission for the Order. Suffice to say, they were enraged with their decision and they had a bumpy relationship with Remus for a year, furthermore it took two years before Sirius and Marlene decided it was time to forgive them since they were Ro- _Ember's_ godparents.

"Yes," Jenna laughed, "I was just telling Alaric that I'm a sucker for the decade dance. They do the sixties and the seventies also."

"Really?" Marlene's mien flashed with interest, "Back in the day when we were teenagers, our school only ever did a Halloween and Christmas dance and by the time our children attended they stopped them."

Jenna's brows rose at that, obviously comprehending Marlene's subtle reference to Hogwarts. "Huh. Well that sucks. This town is filled with innumerous events and dances _per year_. Never a boring moment in this town," she chuckled.

"I'll say," a smooth velvety baritone interjected, and James couldn't help but glare at Damon as he approached them with a cocky smirk. Jenna rolled her eyes at the vampire and gave him a meaningful stare, "Damon, aren't you supposed to be dancing with Ember?"

James didn't fail to notice the worry that briefly shone in those electric blue eyes as his usually nonchalant expression turned grave, "Yeah, about that… we need to talk."

Jenna gave Alaric Saltzman a saccharine smile, "Alaric, do you mind getting me a drink? I'm a bit parched." The history teacher nodded with a smile, and James's hazel eyes gleamed with interest upon noticing the suspicious glint in the teacher's eyes as he scrutinized Damon before leaving to the punch table. Once Alaric was a far distance away, Jenna snapped, "Talk about what, Damon? What's going on?"

"That vampire in town, he's around here somewhere," Damon uttered in a hush, indifferent over James, Lily, Sirius and Marlene overhearing them since they were already aware, and they immediately scanned the premises, simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief at seeing Harry, Cassie, Ron and Hermione dancing exuberantly in the crowd. But before any more words could be exchanged, an anxious Stefan appeared behind Damon, his forest green eyes dilating with terror, "Elena and Ember are gone!"

* * *

"I _cannot_ _believe_ Care and Bonnie ditched! Especially Care!" Elena huffed, her arm was linked with Ember's; they sent Stefan off to get them a drink refill and Damon to warn Jenna that they might have undesired company at the dance, and both girls were waiting patiently by the side, their eyes blazing with amusement as they witnessed the same petite girl hovering over their annoyed brother by the punch bowl.

Ember smirked, "Well, their new love interests are at the Grill. Remember?" Elena laughed at the reminder; during lunch that day, Bonnie vaguely informed them of a cute bartender that started working the nightshift at the Grill, and Caroline tried to play it off during her many sleepovers after Ember's hospital stint, but she was deeply enamored by Mattie. Elena was about to respond with a teasing comment when her phone suddenly blared, and her brows scrunched together in confusion.

"Unknown number. _Hello_?" in a mere instant, Elena's chocolate doe-eyes widened in fear and her lips pursed in anger. Meeting Ember's inquisitive orbs, Elena put the call on speaker and placed the phone between them. "Oh, Ember is listening in as well… _perfect_ ," a deep gravelly voice purred from the other line, "Remember me? The one you ran over? The one you threatened?"

Gritting her teeth together in fury, Ember snapped out with a large dollop of loathing, "Listen up you son of a-"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," Noah taunted, quieting Ember from her heated tirade, "I already listened the other night, now it's _your_ turn. Here's what you're going to do. There's an exit door behind you. You have five seconds."

"No," Elena immediately retorted in defiance. Ember nodded, "What my sister said! Hell to the no. Do you think we have a death wish or something?!" she sneered, annoyed when Noah mockingly chuckled and smartly quipped, "I don't know. I think the question is, do you wish death on your brother, _Jeremy_." A pair of emeralds and chocolates flickered over to the punch bowl, simultaneously widening once they spotted Noah's shady form standing directly behind their little brother who was obliviously handing drinks out. "I can snap his neck so fast I bet there's not even a witness. Now, _start walking_."

Unintentionally using their twin speech, they cried out, "Don't you dare touch him!"

"Keep walking. Through the door."

Ember and Elena traded determined looks and nodded; Elena closed the phone line and they both ran past the aforementioned door as though their lives depended on it – which, it kinda did. Ember followed Elena's lead while her mind was racing, formulating many different kinds of scenarios over the technique in which she was going to kill that son-of-a-bitch that tested her and ruined his last chance at survival. Wandlessly, Ember silenced their heels from resonating in the empty hallway, recalling Damon's previous statement about a few predatory vampires that loved the chase. _He wants a chase, well, he'll get one, just the other way around_. Ember grabbed Elena's wrist and yanked her into a vacant classroom before deftly placing a strong notice-me-not charm on both of them.

Noah barged into the room, his nostrils flaring and eyes flickering around every crevice of the room. "I know you're in here. I can smell you! I can hear your hearts beating loudly against your ribcages! I can hear your frantic breathing. _Come out, come out, wherever you are_ ," he sang, "I promise I won't hurt you… _much_. I just want to talk."

Ember rolled her eyes and winked at Elena; the simple action had Elena's face transform from palpable fear to utter serenity, her chocolate orbs now gleaming with mischief. Elena knew that if her twin sister was worried, then they were screwed; examining Ember's laidback expression made her feel unperturbed about the entire situation; Elena couldn't even find it in herself to pity the idiotic vampire… _much._

In a quick successive motion, Ember rendered Noah vulnerable with a banishing charm, two numbing curses aimed at both legs, and a sticking charm; with the potent power used, Noah found himself blasted into the air and colliding painfully against the wall, and when he quickly went to pounce, he lost feeling of both limbs and before he could collapse onto the ground, he impacted with the wall again, unable to move an inch. Triumphantly smirking, Ember reversed the notice-me-not charm on her and Elena, allowing the dark brown eyes of the suicidal idiot to discern them.

Growling, Noah tried struggling from his position on the wall, to no avail. "Let me go, you bitch!" he snarled through gritted teeth.

"I. _Warned_. You. Noah! Didn't I, Laney?" Ember faked confusion; with a shit-eating grin, Elena nodded, "Uh-huh, I was there. In fact, excluding me, there were three other witnesses that night when you gave him a chance."

"What are you?" Noah sneered, forcing himself to remain calm; Anna would rescue him, he was sure of it. Tutting mockingly, Ember returned his sneer tenfold, emeralds flashing angrily, "Ya ever heard of the saying: know thy enemy? How ineptly stupid are you, to waltz into town and target people you know nothing about?!"

Noah's visage morphed into one of smug satisfaction and he spat out, "Who's to say I don't? Why do you think I've been pursuing _her_?" he thrust his chin toward Elena, "She looks like Katherine." Noah's eyes glinted victoriously as he took note of the palpable shock on their faces.

Elena stepped forward, her eyes desperate, "You knew Katherine?"

"Your Salvatore boys don't even remember me," Noah chuckled humorlessly, his voice more taunting than informative.

Ember shook her head, a malicious smirk consuming her features. "I have ways to make you talk. Now, there is the easy way, where you _obviously_ give me the information I need to know freely, OR, I can torture the answer out of you. Lucky for you, and unfortunately for me, we're not exactly in the best location for torturing treatment, what with us being in a school filled with unaware people," Ember's voice took on a mocking lilt, eliciting a bout of laughter from Elena and a permanent scowl out of Noah who had an ill feeling regarding the two humans' complete nonchalance over the matter. Not giving Noah a chance to open his mouth, Ember articulated clearly, " _Legilimens!_ "

Memory after memory after memory supervened; witnessing Katherine in action was shocking and hearing the variation between her and Elena's voice, despite it sounding identical was extremely creepy and candidly disturbing. She watched how the founding families rounded up and captured the vampires in 1864 while he ran away with…

"What is it?" Elena asked at once, seeing the furious disposition that suddenly consumed her twin. Ember merely shook her head, there would be no need to question him, the redhead got all the information she needed; and more than she even asked for. Pointing her wand at Noah who looked dazed, not that she could blame him, forcing Legilimency on someone and rooting through their mind… well, mind rape can be excruciatingly painful depending on the caster's leniency and Ember wasn't showing him any mercy. She cast the organ liquefying curse on him and did nothing while he screamed in agony.

The door barged from behind them and the twins whipped around in a defensive stance before relaxing at the sight of a deeply worried Stefan and an impressed Damon whose electric blue orbs were staring intensely at a tormented Noah. Stefan rushed over to Elena's side and embraced her just as Jenna ran in, her face alight with relief, and bringing up the rear, the unwanted quartet, James, Lily, Sirius and Marlene.

 _Just perfect!_

"What the hell are _they_ doing here?" Ember screamed over Noah's yells, "Ugh, you know what? _Silencio._ Ah, much better." Damon smirked in amusement at the mute vampire whose face was scrunched up in agony and his mouth opened wide with silent screams of torment. Sighing loudly, Jenna engulfed Ember, "They just followed me. It's not like I can stop them myself. What spell did you use?"

Smugly, Ember pronounced, "Just a teeny weeny organ liquefying curse, he's in a helluva lotta pain right now." Four distinctive gasps ensued, and Lily cried out, "That's a dark spell! Why ever would you cast that?!"

"Oh, please! Shove your dogmatic heads up your a-holes and shut the hell up," Ember sneered at them, "You were born and raised in a prejudiced community where _everything_ is illegal. Here in America, there is no such thing as light and dark magic, but intent. Fuck, I learnt how to successfully cast the three unforgivables at _fifteen_! So don't give me that look of horror and don't bother spewing out those stupid laws that you have in your backward community. We're in America people! Get with the program already!"

Floundering for a moment, Sirius hesitantly spoke up, "Don't you feel, guilt? I mean, you're torturing someone."

"Unlike Britain, we don't show mercy to murderers. Unlike that old, senile fart you all herald on a holy altar, we don't humor that remorseful crap. I gave this vampire a second chance, heck, counting the fact that he demolished my car and nearly killed Laney, Care and I, he got _three_ chances, and he epically blew it. So, _no_ , I don't feel guilt."

Disentangling herself from Stefan's tight clutches, Elena approached Jenna, "Jenna, take Jeremy home, we'll follow you. He threatened Jer's life to get us alone." Jenna's eyes widened at that and after a quick warning to return home immediately after they discarded his body, she departed the room; Ember glared at the four intruders and snapped, "You too. Your presence isn't wanted around here. Scram!" Barely sparing them another glance, Ember nonverbally slashed a wooden mop in half and handed it over to Elena, "It's only fair that you do the honors, after all, he was initially chasing you."

"Wait a sec! We can make him talk. Get information," Damon quickly interjected; Ember patted his back with a smirk and winked, "Don't worry, buddy, I got all the information we need. We'll discuss it tomorrow. Go for it, Laney."

And without further ado, Elena stabbed Noah in the chest.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _When I turned ten and Professor Rindaver approached my family and informed me that I was a witch and belonged to an entirely different community filled with magic, flying broomsticks, cauldrons, and a shitload of mythical and mystical creatures that were said to be fabled, I thought my life couldn't get more exciting._

 _I was wrong._ _ **Completely**_ _and_ _ **utterly**_ _wrong._

 _One year after graduating from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, my parents died, opening up a whirlpool of unbelievable incidents and discoveries._

 _Servants of Natures, traditional (whatever) vampires, doppelgängers… worst of all, my twin sister, the apple of my eye, the other half of my soul and every being is adopted and the shadow-self of a manipulative bitch. Six years of immersing myself in the magical world and being the best that I can be, I, Ember Gilbert, the smartest witch in three centuries, am still uncovering new entities in the vast world we live in._

 _A part of me can't help but wonder;_

 _Would things happen differently if mom and dad were still alive?_

 _Am I being responsible?_

 _Would mom and dad be disappointed that I befriended vampires; despite the fact that they know I am friends with a large variety of half-magical creatures in the magical community?_

 _I mean, according to Noah's mindscape when I forced Legilimency on him, my ancestor Jonathan Gilbert ruthlessly hunted their species down and showed absolutely no mercy along with the Salvatores, Forbes, Lockwoods and Fells. Do mom and dad have a limit regarding these vampires? Are they frowning down at me in disappointment from the heavens?_

 _Noah's mindscape was a treasure-trove; Qetsiyah had been spot-on (not that I ever doubted her). That petite stalker of Jeremy is Anna… little_ _ **vampire**_ _Anna, who really, in controversy to her size, isn't so little when you compare her youthful visage to her nearly six-hundred years of age. Little, not so little, Anna wants to liberate her mother from the tomb and use_ _ **my**_ _little brother as her first welcome back snack! Apparently, her mother Pearl fell in love with my ancestor, and because he betrayed her (which really, it was her fault, I mean, the dude is a vampire-hunter and knew nothing of her origins_ _ **and**_ _she allowed him to court her), Anna promised Gilbert blood would awaken her mom. How fucking creepy is that? Screw creepy, imma kill the bitch when I next see her. Mark my words. Nobody, I repeat_ _ **nobody**_ _uses my brother for_ _ **anything!**_ _Especially as vampire chow!_

 _And to make things worse, she turned Ben McKittrick into a vampire so that he could become her little minion! Sexy Bennie, the former star football player of Mystic Falls High who graduated two years ago! Another reason for me to kill her. All I had been able to find out, was that Ben remained holed up at the sleazy motel with Anna since he doesn't have a daylight ring, and sometimes strolled outside at night._

 _Tomorrow will be a grand affair after revealing Anna's machinations. For now Dear Diary, my bed awaits and I take great comfort knowing my family is safe in the house with my fantabulous and ingenious wards._

 _Until tomorrow!_

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

 _ **Marlene Black – Marlene Black – Blake Lively**_

 _ **Qetsiyah – Zoe Saldana**_

 _ **Alaric Saltzman – Matthew Davis**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Whew, how'd you like this chapter? Yay, nay?! XD**

 **Okay, so to start things off; I'm sure some of you are probably wondering how come she didn't find out that Katherine's alive? Well, here's the thing… we don't know if Noah spent the last 150 years traveling alongside Anna. I'm assuming Anna bumped into Katherine alone and found no need to confide in Noah in Mystic Falls. As for Ben being the bartender at the Grill? Bonnie never gave Ember and Elena a name, probably Caroline only knows since she went to the Grill with Bonnie after the 50s dance and didn't think it was important to share his identity, and Noah strikes me as the careless hotheaded vampire that barely spent any time with Anna during their time in town, unlike Ben who needs his sire's help in learning how to adapt as a vampire and has no daylight ring.**

 **What do you suppose I should do with Anna? I'm not really a great fan of her and Pearl, so I'd like to hear your opinion? What about Ben… should I save him? Oh, and how badass was Ember in this chapter? ;)**

 **Either next chapter or the one afterward, I will reveal the happenings of the magical community, it all depends on how the plot goes, because most times, the story just writes itself out! XD**

 **R &R.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 14:**

As she freshened up for the start of a new day, Ember couldn't stop reliving all she had observed in Noah's mindscape; every gruesome detail of his two centuries of immortal life and wandering the earth. Despite the redhead's soft spot in regards to vampires, and her resolute stance concerning equality between all supernatural beings, Ember could not bring herself to feel even a sliver of guilt for her part in ending Noah's life. Unfortunately, to discover the vampire-stalker's agenda, Ember couldn't block out the images of the innumerable victims he feasted upon and tore apart, relishing in their screams and hopelessness to survive another day; so much unneeded death, so much blood, gore and perversion, all because of his lack of compassion and complete disregard to human life. The redhead now understood why Qetsiyah referred to Noah as a lost cause, for the vampire felt no remorse in his deplorable acts, and reveled in Elena's frightened screams as he visualized eliminating the one who inherited the face of the vampire that betrayed him and his comrades in 1864.

Letting out a loud exhalation of breath, Ember unplugged her blow-dryer and mussed her crimson curls, preparing herself for the confrontation awaiting her downstairs, knowing that Elena had the foresight to beckon Damon and Stefan over.

"Ready or not, here I come," Ember murmured, steeling herself for the upcoming interrogation. But before her hand clasped the doorknob, the distinctive sound of an owl pecking against her window resonated in her room, and a vibrant smile etched itself onto her gorgeous visage at the familiar eagle owl demanding entry. Hurrying forward, the redhead pulled out the bag of owl treats she always kept handy in her bedside drawer for seven years now, and she cooed, stroking the proud eagle owl's neck, "Hello, Zeus." She smiled fondly as she observed Zeus devouring the treats with vigor after releasing him from his burden and after a few seconds of silence, she turned her attention to the missive from Minister Bane.

There was a tentative knock on her door, followed by Elena's voice, "Em? Damon and Stefan just arrived-… is that Zeus?" The brunette flopped down beside her, expressive doe-eyes brightening with curiosity. Shaking her head in amusement at her nosy twin, Ember took out a fountain pen and scribbled her acceptance on the letter before sparing Elena her full attention, "Uncle John told President Bane about my temporary death-whatever experience. He's checking up on me and says that he'll be visiting with Faith and Reina tomorrow." The words barely escaped her lips, ensued by an excited squeal from the brunette who adored Reina. Nearly all of Ember's friends from the magical community got along swimmingly with her twin, and vice versa.

After sending off her enthusiastic response with Zeus, the twins descended the staircase and Jenna, Jeremy, Damon and Stefan watched with unveiled amusement as the twins attacked the coffee pot with gusto, simultaneously emitting pleasurable moans of approval as they sipped on the wonderful caffeine. Damon shook his head, a smirk on his handsome face, "You two are freakishly alike, it's kind of scary."

"Oh, hush you," Elena grinned, sauntering over to Stefan and allowing her tiny frame to be enveloped by his muscular build. Ember snorted and sat between Jeremy and Damon while Jenna took her respective seat at the head of the table. Unable to keep a lid on her mouth, Ember focused on Jenna, cleared her throat and in a posh British accent, announced, "The Honorable Ms. Justice Sommers calls the tribunal-"

Laughter interjected her well thought out speech followed by a playful smack atop the head, courtesy of Jenna, and she pouted at each one of them. Nudging her in a camaraderie fashion, Damon smirked, "Get on with it, Little Red."

"Ugh, fine. My humor is lost on you people anyways," Ember grinned, winking at them and, right before their very eyes, her whole stance morphed from playful to solemn as though she had been doused in ice cold water. "First, let me tell you, Noah deserved what he got. His mindscape was-" she shivered in disgust, receiving cognition from her family and confusion from the vampire brothers, prompting her to clarify, "Okay so, last night, I forced myself into Noah's mindscape since he wasn't up to talking and we were in a crowded area, therefore I couldn't torture the information out of him. I'm a proficient Legilimens, meaning I can magically navigate through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpret their memories." The Salvatores looked highly fascinated and she plowed on, not wanting to waste time on explaining the intricacies of the mind arts at the moment, "So, Jeremy's little stalker, Anna? She's a vampire, nearing her six-hundredth birthday-"

"Wait? _What_?" Jeremy looked aghast, and Elena and Jenna didn't look any better, grimacing at the thought of the youngest individual in their depleting family being followed by an old and powerful vampire with an unknown agenda. "Good thing I've been avoiding her. She's a really good actress; I didn't even recognize her as a magical creature. I just thought she was some annoying girl who couldn't take no for an answer," he grumbled.

Jenna focused on the disturbed redhead with serious eyes, "What does she want?" Her inquiry succeeded in placing the attention solely onto her person, prompting her grimace to become more pronounced. "Oh, you're gonna _love_ this," she sarcastically spat out, and here, her emerald orbs swiveled from Stefan to Damon, "Her mother is stuck in the tomb, and she vowed that Gilbert blood would be the one to awaken her since she was captured by our ancestor Jonathan Gilbert whom she was desperately in love with. You two are familiar with her… Pearl."

Stefan inhaled a sharp intake of breath and Damon's fists clenched, "Damn it! So she wants in the tomb as well?" Ember nodded immediately, "You've hid Emily's talisman well, so now she's setting her sights on a backup plan. Apparently Jonathan Gilbert's journal records the location of Emily Bennett's grimoire."

Elena was the only one sporting a shit-eating smile on her face, her posture completely relaxed. Stefan frowned at his girlfriend's odd behavior, "Why aren't you affected by all this?" Jenna and Jeremy rolled their eyes, catching on to the reason behind Elena's laidback demeanor, much to the Salvatore brother's palpable confusion. Elena snorted and inclined her head towards her twin, "Well, by now, I've learned that if Ember isn't worried, then we don't have to be. So, cough up, twinny. What's the plan?"

"Oh you know me so well, Laney," Ember grinned clapping her hands together exuberantly and she smirked at a baffled Jeremy, "Jer, didn't you say Mr. Saltzman asked if he could read Jonathan Gilbert's journal?" Jenna blushed profusely at the mention of the hot history teacher she was developing a crush on, and Jeremy nodded once in confusion. "Obviously, Anna will be stalking you and when you give it to Mr. Saltzman, she'll _predictably_ steal it."

Damon gaped at the redhead in astonishment, "And how, _pray tell,_ is _that_ a _good_ _thing_?"

"If you let me finish," Ember snapped, glaring at the elder Salvatore in irritation, " _Thank you_! Now, as I was saying before I was _rudely_ interrupted. I'll place a tracking charm on the journal, and when Anna sets her grubby paws on it, I'll show up at wherever she's staying." Full-blown grins were now etched on everyone's faces. Ember turned to face Damon with a solemn stare, "Now, I promised you I'd help you get your girl out, and even though I'm not comfortable with letting that manipulative vampire out, a deal is a deal, but you have to _promise_ _me_ that you'll leave town with her. I won't allow Mystic Falls to suffer from Katherine's wrath."

All eyes were on Damon, patiently awaiting his decision; if he were being honest with himself, a part of him felt like screwing Katherine over and leaving her to suffer in the tomb so that he could remain in town with the Gilberts and even Caroline, much to his shock. Damon had never before experienced having loyal people in his life, people that weren't willing to betray and backstab him. Despite the fact that he promised Stefan an eternal life of misery, he honest to god missed the close bond they used to have before Katherine stormed into town and tarnished it. But … Katherine Pierce was his one true love, and he spent 145 years mourning her loss and waiting for this very moment. He nodded in agreement, hoping that he wouldn't come to regret his choice. And for a second, Damon pretended that he didn't notice his younger brother's expression turn forlorn at his decision.

"All righty then," Ember smacked a hand on the table, "Here's the plan. Bonnie is still anti-vampire at the moment, so imma go straight to Sheila. She's the matriarch of the Bennett line, she'll be easier to persuade and bring over to our side." Only Jenna, Elena and Jeremy understood her subtle message of Sheila aiding in the mission Qetsiyah gave her. "With Emily's talisman, we can open the tomb easily. If Anna promises to just take her mother out, then we'll liberate Katherine and Pearl and proceed to burn the other 25 vampires. I don't like it, I mean, what if most of them are innocent and have been suffering 145 years in mummification, but I can't risk the safety of the town. We get in, we get out, nobody comes to any harm and we eliminate the threat of volatile vampires possibly out for revenge. You, Damon Salvatore, keep your trap shut and try not to threaten anyone in the meantime. Jeremy, I want you to act oblivious to Anna's true nature, and if you feel like you're in _any_ danger, use your bracelet, kay? Jenna, you're not in any danger at the moment, but I sense something's off with Mr. Saltzman, try and find out if he's aware of the existence of vampires. Stefan, Elena, you two stick together, I've a feeling Anna isn't above using Elena as a bargaining chip… at least until she has the journal in her possession."

Damon smiled fondly at the redheaded vixen during the entirety of her speech, electric blues sparkling in awe. "So bossy," he mumbled.

* * *

After cheerleading practice, Caroline carpooled with Ember, deciding to, once again, sleepover at the Gilberts; Elena was off with Stefan somewhere, probably messing around under the sheets at the Boarding House, Jeremy was at the Grill with Jenna having lunch with the hopes of bumping into Mr. Saltzman, which left Ember with a quiet house, much to her relief. Barricading themselves in Ember's bedroom, Caroline gave her best friend a serious look, "Em, you've been off all day. Is this about that vampire-stalker Elena staked at the dance?"

"No! Not really, maybe… okay, _yes,_ " Ember blurted out with a groan, entering her walk-in closet and removing the loose wood to open up the entrance to her secret room where she kept a paraphernalia of miscellaneous items from the magical world. Caroline kept quiet as the redhead rummaged through some bizarre items – she already knew about her best friend's secret room – or well, secret _rooms_ , plural! – and had the decency to never enter it or question her about it until the redhead invited her in or gave her permission. Blonde brows knitted together in confusion once Ember appeared hauling a medium-sized metal basin in her arms; scrutinizing it heavily, Caroline recognized a few runes and strange symbols carved onto it and her curiosity reared its ugly head, "What is that, Em?"

"This? Remember when I told you about pensieves?" Ember spoke without looking at the blonde as she whipped out her wand, pointed it at her temple and began withdrawing memory upon memory from her mind, placing each of the ghostly, silvery strings into the basin, "Noah's victims have been on the forefront of my mind _all_ _day_. Replaying over and over _and over_ again. I can't move on like this. So, I'm putting them all into my pensieve, that way I can access them better, understand the events and remember them without the many dead people haunting my every move."

Pensieves were a rare magical artifact and extremely expensive. It was in fact a graduation present from President Bane who perceived her as a niece and it was one of her most coveted and protected possessions. With all the supernatural events happening in picturesque Mystic Falls, Ember came to the conclusion that her pensieve would be extremely useful. Turning around to Caroline, she held out an inviting hand, "You coming?"

Giddily, Caroline accepted the redhead's hand and ignored the strange sensation of plummeting down a cliff as she concentrated on her best friend when they finally landed in front of what looked to be the old Salvatore Mansion. Cornflower-blue eyes widened at the two women in front of them, one of which looked exactly like- "Elena?"

"Nah, that's Katherine Pierce, manipulative bitch extraordinaire. And the other woman is Pearl, the mother of Jeremy's vampire stalker. Let's get closer." Together, Ember and Caroline inched toward the pair, separating themselves from Noah who stood beside little, not so little, Anna.

" _How long do you plan on staying with the Salvatores? People talk, Katherine. You, carrying on with both brothers, doesn't help the situation," Pearl matter-of-factly informed Katherine who shrugged nonchalantly, and smiled deviously, "The Salvatores have been kind to take me in. As far as everyone here knows, I'm a poor orphan girl from Atlanta, lost her family in the fires."_

 _Pearl smirked, looking equally as devious as Katherine, "A match you lit, no doubt." Her statement was followed by laughter._

"Katherine was running from somebody," Caroline gasped, gaping at Ember who looked equally surprised. They watched in silence as Pearl handed over an 'elixir' Honoria Fell gave her which turned out to be vervain, all the while pondering over this mysterious person Katherine Pierce seemed to be terrified of to the point of seeking solace at Mystic Falls under the pretense of a poor, orphan girl.

* * *

The next day, Jenna, Ember, Elena and Jeremy spent the afternoon fixing a lavish dinner as Gregory, Faith and Reina Bane were apparating over in a few hours when all of a sudden, Ember's head cocked to the side and her emerald orbs glowed with knowledge. She smirked at the questioning looks she was on the receiving end of, "The journal is in Anna's possession. She's staying at Mystic Motel." She then twirled her wand between her fingers, and her lips stretched into a conniving smirk, "Coming Laney?"

Ignoring the Potters and the Blacks congregated outside, Ember pulled Elena into the shadows and apparated in front of Mystic Motel, following the tracking charm to the correct room number. Adopting a nasal voice, Ember knocked twice on the door, " _Room keeping!_ "

The door flew open seconds later, and emeralds observed as obsidian orbs widened in recognition upon seeing Elena and before little, not so little Anna knew it, she was hurled across the room with a well-placed banishing charm. Striding into the room, Ember smirked at a gobsmacked Ben, "Hey Sexy Bennie, long time no see. Sorry, no time for a reunion at the moment." and with fluent ease, once Elena hurriedly closed the door behind them, the redhead placed a silencing charm in the room and snarled, " _Crucio!_ " watching with morbid delight as Anna writhed and shrieked and screamed and cried on the ground.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Elena warningly snapped at Ben who looked as though he were about to intervene. Elena knew that Ember's compassion and understanding knew no bounds and she had such a large and pure heart and dreamed of equality between all races, but Ember Gilbert was notoriously known for her vindictive side, a side that only made an appearance when there was a threat toward her loved ones. Anna planning on killing Jeremy only slotted her onto the top of her little black book, and Elena couldn't find it in herself to pity the six-hundred-year-old vampire. Nobody messed with the Gilberts, particularly, _Ember Gilbert._

Flicking her wand almost lazily, Ember released Anna from the Cruciatus Curse and watched as she recovered her bearings. Tucking her wand back into its holster, Ember wandlessly summoned blood from the mini-fridge and tossed it toward the panting vampiress. "I talk, you listen, got it?" Ember snarled, linking hands with Elena and approaching the terrified vampire.

"Are you a witch?" Anna had been victim to many aneurysms bestowed by witches before, but to this date she had never suffered from one so agonizing and excruciating, and she was terrified. It was common knowledge that once a vampire got older, their pain threshold would dwindle to almost a pinch; the last witch who gave her an aneurysm was two years ago, and Anna barely flinched at the pain, and here she was writhing and screaming in unimaginable agony as though she were a day-old vampire, all because of Ember Gilbert – the twin of the doppelgänger she had ruled out as a threat. Ember sneered at her, "I do recall me telling you to listen, _not_ ask any questions, right Laney?"

"Uh-huh," Elena smirked, her face adopting a satisfied expression. Ember circled Anna as though she were a defenseless prey, confident that Elena had her back and was closely observing Ben's movements. "So, I hear you've been stalking my baby brother and have plans to feed him to your mommy. Oh, don't look so surprised Anna Banana, you're new in town, so you've yet to know that I know _everything_ , and I do mean _everything_ ," she drawled out, prolonging the word and reveling in the fear vivid on the vampiress's face, "Introductions should be made. Hi, I'm Ember Gilbert, and this? This is my twin, Elena Gilbert, and the boy's demise you had been planning is Jeremy Gilbert. Now…I'm a down-to-earth, compassionate gal, Anna Banana, and I _hate_ harming others, but when there's a threat to my loved ones, I have a cruel vindictive streak. Now, since you didn't know that about me, I'm giving you a chance, a clean slate. What do you say?"

Anna's eyes narrowed in on the gorgeous redhead she now viewed as a major threat, "What's the catch?" but before Ember retorted, Elena grabbed their ancestor's journal from the bedside table and announced in a singsong voice, "Look what I found." Anna moved to pounce and Ember, who saw it coming, nonverbally placed a sticking charm on her, "Are you suicidal, Anna Banana? Sit down, and shut the hell up!"

"I can't get up! Why can't I get up?" Anna frantically muttered before fixating the redhead with a fierce glare, her canines nearly protruding from her bow-shaped lips, "What did you do to me!?"

Ember rolled her eyes and plumped down beside Ben who looked a mixture of bewildered and torn, not knowing if he should aid his sire or listen to his instincts which were screaming at him to act invisible and compliant to the redhead's demands. "Don't fret, you'll get wrinkles," she grinned, prompting Elena to burst out into laughter as she flipped through Jonathan Gilbert's journals, "I only placed a sticking charm on you. It's not permanent. Now, back to business, Annie. I'm going to make you a deal, and I behoove you to accept it. Instead of thumbing through the journal you stole from my family for the location of Emily Bennett's grimoire, I'll help you get your mommy dearest out of the tomb, free of charge."

Anna's cherubic face morphed into one of suspicion, but those obsidian orbs weren't fooling the Gilbert twins; they shone with hope and longing. "Again… what's the catch? And… how did you even _know_ about my plan or that I was in town? The Salvatores were clueless."

Scoffing, Ember waved a hand in complete nonchalance, "Let's just say your feeding buddy, Noah, was an open book." And here, much to Anna and Ben's palpable confusion, the twins shared an amused look. "Look, Anna Banana, here's the deal, I help get your mother out, and the two of you either leave town or stay _but_ , keep in mind, you staying in Mystic Falls would mean that you won't attack the citizens."

"And what about the other vampires stuck in the tomb?" Anna asked indignantly. Elena shut the journal and joined her sister on the bed, "The others will be set on fire. Take it or leave it." Anna looked aghast, unbelieving eyes flickering from Elena to Ember, their expressions identically unyielding, "You're serious? Both of you! Haven't they suffered enough? 145 years desiccating in that tomb and you're going to burn them to the ground!"

The redhead huffed and jumped onto her feet, "Look Anna, I won't lie to you. I feel bad for them, I really, really do. _But_ I cannot risk the town's safety and something tells me that the minute they're out, most of them would look for revenge against the founding families for being imprisoned. I can't allow that to happen, not on my watch. And neither would the matriarch of the Bennett line once I tell her the plan. Damon's getting Katherine, you're getting your mother. Take it or leave it."

There was a beat of silence as the Gilbert twins watched the indignation and fury melt from Anna's face into one of utter defeat, "Fine. You have yourself a deal."

"Good!" Ember's face brightened, "I'll be in touch, and if I were you, I wouldn't do anything stupid, otherwise the deal is off!"

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Do you ever get the feeling where whenever you take a step forward, something happens, bringing you ten steps backward? Well, it just did for me… yada, yada, story of my life!_

 _The plan of releasing Katherine and Pearl from the tomb and removing the threat of Damon and Anna's outright fury was nearing completion. We have Emily Bennett's crystal all safe and sound, we have the verbal agreement of Damon and Anna to stick to my plan and wait for my call, therefore keeping the denizens of Mystic Falls safe from the wrath of vengeful vampires, and the only ingredient remaining is to confront Sheila Bennett and garner her help in opening the tomb._

 _Everything was going splendidly, that was… that was until Elena and I returned home for dinner with the Banes. After dinner, the adults sat in the dining room and indulged in alcohol while Elena, Jeremy and I took Reina to Mystic Grills to shoot some pool and update each other._

 _I was glad to see Reina; she was one of my closest friends at Ilvermorny, especially since I was one of the few girls that never saw Reina as a ticket to success since she was the daughter of the President of MACUSA. Reina had always been a constant in my life ever since my first year at Ilvermorny and she was always a welcome visitor at the Gilbert Residence which only solidified when our respective parents met and became good friends, followed by the old fossil demanding I return to Britain since I was the true Child-Who-Lived._

 _When we returned from the Gill, a grim Uncle Gregory took me aside and told me about the current events happening in American soil and…_ _ **my world came crashing down.**_

 _Regardless of my neutral stance in the war, Voldemort or… what I hereby dub him as Voldefart is still after my head! Apparently, he took my declaration of neutrality as the perfect opportunity to build up a formidable army of magical creatures and blood purists, tricking me into an illusion of peace… the ugly truth was that Voldefart still viewed me as a major threat to his goals, despite the fact that Qetsiyah and according to the few authentic Seers Gregory Bane inquired after, the prophecy between me and the Dark Lord was null and void._

 _A Death Eater was briefly interrogated and before he committed suicide, he declared that Voldemort was after me… my only saving grace was that they all knew me as, and were searching for, Rose Dorea Potter, not knowing that my name is in fact Ember Miranda Gilbert living in the small, picturesque town of Mystic Falls in Virginia._

 _Like I didn't have enough on my plate with all this vampire business, now I have to accept the fact that Voldemort won't stop until my death, putting my family and friends in grave danger. But there is no way in_ _ **hell**_ _I am about to join forces with Dumbledick and his order of flaming chickens!_

 _Uncle Greg told me to think of what I want to do and that he'll be waiting for me tomorrow after school at the Grill._

 _And…_

 _ **I know what I had to do.**_

 _Wish me luck Dear Diary._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

Ember groaned and glared at the wet blotches staining her diary entry; she roughly wiped away the traitorous tears that accumulated on her face and shoved her diary into her pillowcase. Ember Gilbert was pissed off! She didn't want anything to do with the retrograded and stagnant British community; Ember despised their stupid prejudice and those idiotic laws filled with bias against those who weren't strictly Purebloods and the biased shits in charge who claimed they were all for equality, while their actions portrayed differently.

She couldn't bring herself to confess to Jenna, Elena and Jeremy, and so, she fabricated some lie after returning from her conversation with Uncle Greg that he was offering her a job after high school, unable to face the horror-stricken looks that would no doubt take over their visages upon discovering the truth, not when they were finally starting to heal from Grayson and Miranda's tragic and sudden untimely death. Ember hated Voldefart, his pathetic Death Munchers, and the stupid backward community drowning without some hero to swoop in and save their disgraceful asses! Ember desperately wished her parents were alive, knowing that her parents always knew the right thing to say that would cheer her up.

Without thinking about the consequences of her action, Ember shuttered her eyelids, concentrated on her destination and apparated away from Mystic Falls into an alley behind a specific townhouse in bustling Manhattan. Not caring about her atrocious appearance, what with her thick and shiny crimson locks tied up in a messy bun that looked positively ghastly, her bloodshot eyes, puffed-up face marred with red blotches and streaks of dried tears, or the despondent slump of her shoulders, Ember knocked on the front door, tapping her foot impatiently.

Relief consumed her when lifeless emeralds met shocked sapphires.

"Ember honey? What-" John Gilbert swallowed his next words as he took in the appearance of his normally vivacious niece who never allowed herself to depart the house looking anything but perfect and put together. Without hesitation, John embraced his niece and softly escorted her into the living room, waiting for her tears to subside. John grimaced as Ember's entire posture shook in his strong hold and for the life of him, he didn't know what ailed his beloved and cherished niece.

Half an hour later, Ember's body-shaking sobs were put to a stop as she clutched onto a mug of hot chocolate he made for her after informing a worried Jenna that Ember would be missing school tomorrow and that she was sleeping over at his place. "Your Aunt Jenna and your siblings were worried, Emmy," John's voice lacked any scolding, he kept his voice soft and tenderly held her in his arms. John knew that Ember was very mature for her age, and had always been a smart and responsible girl; for Ember to sneak out of the house without a word, or even any warning, meant that something was truly amiss. It was a well-known fact that Ember got along amazingly with her uncle like a house on fire… after all, he was the only one that succeeded in calming her down after she found out she was adopted seven years ago, and he would be the one to help her out with whatever trouble she was currently facing.

"Un-uncle J-John," Ember sniffed, stammering her words as she shakily put down her half-empty mug, "President Bane told me that V-Voldemort is coming after me-" And she proceeded to tell him all about the Death Eater on American soil and the final words he imparted the aurors with before killing himself to protect Voldemort's plans.

Knowing that Ember needed an adult figure to keep a cool head, John filed away all his fears and quashed his anger; he cupped her face, wiping away her pearly tears with the pads of his thumbs, "Listen to me, Emmy. We'll get through this, you hear me? _You're the smartest witch in three centuries,_ nobody stands a chance against you. _Nobody._ You're not alone in this, honey. You hear me? We'll get through this together. As a family."

The entire night was spent discussing plans for the future and Ember was adamant in her decision that would change her future, grateful that she had her Uncle John's wholehearted support.

* * *

"Allie! You have five minutes to turn off the television! It's time for you to go to bed, you have school tomorrow!" Margaret Owens called out as she meticulously dried the dishes. Being a single mother to a six-year-old was tough and a full-time job, but unfortunately, she couldn't afford it. She could barely afford a babysitter after Alison returned from school due to her job as a supermarket cashier, so she only saw her daughter during the nights. It was taxing, and depressing, and Margaret was forced to quit her duty to nature after Thomas ran off with his secretary, leaving her alone to foot in the bills and take over the responsibility of raising their daughter by her lonesome.

Ten minutes later, a frown introduced itself on her face, noticing that Allie never responded to her command, an oddity in itself since her daughter was a spitfire and disregarded all rules. "Allie? Did you hear me! I said-" hazel orbs widened in fear when she found the sitting room devoid of her daughter, Cartoon Network blaring loudly and she rushed over to shut it off. "Allie? Alison! This isn't funny! Where are you?!"

"Hello, Margie," a calm yet familiar voice that haunted her and always made an appearance in her nightmares uttered from behind her. Pivoting around, Margaret instinctively gave the vampire an aneurysm; despite the fact that she knew it was useless. The vampire flinched for a second before pushing past the pain infliction spell and leveling a glare at the dirty-blonde Owens witch, "Now, that wasn't nice. You don't want anything to happen to your precious daughter, do you?"

"Where is she?" Margaret demanded, unwilling to show the vampire her fear. She received a smirk in response, "Oh, she's around. Ben?"

A young, handsome man appeared beside the vampire with Alison's terrified form, " _Momma_!"

"Allie!" Margaret sobbed, terrified for her baby's life, "What do you want, _Anna_? I already paid my debt to you! What more can you possibly want?!"

Anna rolled her eyes and patted Alison's head, "Don't be like that Margie. If it weren't for me, then little Allie here would have been an orphan. I saved your lif-"

"I _paid_ my debt to you! I told you about Emily Bennett's grimoire!" Margaret snapped, eyeing the vampire – Ben, warily and noticing his grip around Alison's wrist was firm, but not strong enough to leave a bruise. She had to treat this situation with caution. Anna lazily buffed her nails against her chest, not looking the least bit perturbed, "You paid your debt, Margie. I'm here to ask for a favor."

Margaret let out a bitter chuckle that sounded alien coming out of the sweet-natured witch and single mother. "Oh, yes. _A favor_. But if I refuse, then you'll kill my daughter. That's not a favor, Anna! It's called a threat!" she sneered.

"Call it whatever you want," Anna barked, venom seeping into her tone and her sclera reddened slightly, a sign that the volatile vampire hidden behind the cherubic, innocent teenage girl exterior, was losing her patience, "You _will_ help me if you want to save your precious Alison's life. Don't bother arguing with me, Margaret. You know how dangerous I am, and your aneurysms don't affect me." Anna grinned at the telltale sign of a submissive and defeated witch, and her face took on a malicious expression, "Now, here's what you're going to do for me, and if you fail, believe me, you won't like the consequences. And if you run," she smirked, "Let's say I have a lot of compelled humans watching over your every movement."

Fear consumed Margaret Owens and she ducked her head in obedience, knowing she had no choice but to help out in whatever nefarious scheme Anna was threatening her into accomplishing. She wouldn't allow anything to befall her daughter.

* * *

Gregory Bane scrutinized the redhead he adopted as a niece, ensuring for any sign of doubt or hesitation, and upon finding none, he exhaled loudly, his face morphing into one of pity, "Are you sure this is the path you are willing to take? Ember, there are many other options."

"With all due respect, Uncle Greg, I can't just leave it for the adults to handle," Ember sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She barely slept a wink last night and stayed up until dawn hashing the intricacies of her plan with Uncle John. "If I wasn't an American citizen, then the country would be safe from Voldemort's wrath. I must do my part. I'm not going to change my mind and besides, it has been one of my dreams for after college and … it might be good for me and I can still live a normal life in Mystic Falls with my family and friends."

Gregory shook his head fondly at the stubborn-headed girl, knowing very well by know that once Ember set her mind on something, there was no changing it, "Very well. I respect and approve of your decision."

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Annabelle "Anna" Zhu – Malese Jow**_

 _ **Ben McKittrick – Sean Faris**_

 _ **John Gilbert – David Anders**_

 _ **Gregory Bane – Eric Dane**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Whew! How did you like this chapter?! XD**

 **Okay, so… the last two scenes in this chapter were purposely written to be vague. It's more of a cliffhanger for the next chapter, so don't kill me! LOL!**

 **How did you like seeing Uncle John? I freaking ADORE him, and I couldn't help but add him in earlier than his appearance in canon. Okay, so, first of all, I am sorry about there being no Potters and Blacks included in this chapter, or even the Bennetts. However, next chapter will be a big one.**

 **I have so many plot-twists and epic scenes written out all the way to Season Seven of** _ **The Vampire Diaries**_ **and even the entire** _ **The Originals**_ **series, so be patient with me, and I'll be updating this story more regularly because I am majorly excited to start Season Two! XD**

 **Next chapter: the long overdue conversation between Qetsiyah's Champion and Sheila Bennett && the opening of the tomb && Ember's decision about the war between Voldemort will come to light! Stay tuned, the next chapter will be out soon! ;)**

 **R &R.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 15:**

Forty-eight hours had gone by since Ember's ideal world got turned upside down, and since then, the redhead barely slept a wink. Slouching in her silver Mercedes parked in front of Sheila's humble abode, Qetsiyah's Champion was dog-tired, capricious and virtually in need of a long hot shower due to the extracurricular activity she volunteered to undertake in the middle of the night instead of trying to actually achieve some shut-eye.

Letting out a loud exhalation of breath, Ember groggily waved a wand over her person, casting a couple of refreshing charms and a fragrance charm in the hopes of ridding herself from the putrid smell of decay and basically, dead people, before lethargically hopping out of her car and striding towards the front door with a purpose. The last ingredient to conclude the Tomb Operation was inside, and Ember was hoping Sheila Bennett would remain a constant ally in the future, after all… what better way was there to fulfill Qetsiyah's mission? …By having the respected, wise, matriarch of the Bennett Line staunchly by her side.

The door swiftly opened halfway and astute mahogany orbs bore into her soul, prompting the redhead to shift about nervously. Despite the fact that Ember had been a recurring visitor in the eccentric woman's abode due to her many play-dates with Bonnie, Elena and Caroline, Sheila Bennett had a formidable aura about her. The potent and active magic coursing through Ember's vein allowed her to recognize many auras and signatures, and it wasn't wise to cross the Bennett Matriarch, lest one suffered her wrath, despite her age.

"I was wondering when you'd show your face around here, Ember. Please, come in," was the eerie welcome she received. Settling herself on the futon opposite to Sheila, relief flickered in her fatigued emerald orbs upon noticing Qetsiyah leisurely perusing the bookshelf behind the kooky Servant of Nature. Not once did those astute mahogany orbs detach from Ember's person, "What business brought you here, Ember? I am sure you already know that Bonnie isn't here."

"Right. Okay. Straight to the point then," Ember chuckled nervously; fiddling with the straps of her purse, emerald eyes solemnly met Sheila's stare head on, "I come to you with a proposition. I would appreciate it if you hear me out first… I need you to open the tomb located under Fell's Church where twenty-seven vampires currently reside in a mummified state." Sheila's eyebrows threatened to disappear into her hairline and Ember knew she didn't imagine the flash of fury that passed through her unforgiving mahogany eyes that were now staring at her as though she were an adversary.

Before a heated argument could break out, Ember held a hand up in a placating gesture, "Hear me out please. Damon Salvatore and Anna both have somebody they deeply cherish in that tomb and they would stop at nothing to liberate them. If you could just… set aside your unwarranted hatred towards vampires and work alongside me, together, we can keep our town safe from the backlash and from two vengeful vampires. I already have Emily's Talisman, and I have Damon and Anna on their best behavior, all I need is your help. Only two vampires will get out and the rest will burn. I will personally light the match. Damon and Katherine will leave Mystic Falls and go on their merry way, and if Anna and her mother choose to remain in town, I assure you, I will make sure they remain on their best behavior."

Turning her attention toward her purse, Ember pulled out a battered mystical book that had a light beige-colored cover and respectfully placed it onto the table between them, "I had to make a pit stop at the cemetery for this. Emily's Grimoire, it's been lost since 1864, if I calculated correctly? I hope you can take it as a sign of trust." Hell, Ember was a grave-digger _and_ a grave-robber; two things she never expected to _ever_ become, but with Damon and Stefan's permission – after reading her ancestor's journal and discovering the Grimoire was buried with Giuseppe Salvatore – she succeeded in prizing it from a pair of icky skeletal hands.

There was an excruciatingly long beat of silence after Ember's winded speech; Sheila remained poised in a statuesque posture, eyes scrutinizing her appearance and her expression as though she were a hard puzzle to crack, and flickering in reverence toward the direction of the missing grimoire of her powerful ancestor. Finally, when Ember couldn't take the stifling silence any longer, the old witch uttered in an impassive tone, "Your plan has merit, but I still do not understand _why_ I should get dragged into vampire business, _why_ I should help Damon Salvatore and Anna get what they want. My hatred is not unwarranted, Ember, they _are_ abominations-"

" _See_! That's where you're wrong!" Ember heatedly interrupted, uncaring about remaining courteous in the matriarch's presence; hazel-green eyes only visible to the redhead were blazing ferociously at the back of Sheila's head, muttering a litany of invectives about her vindictive sister and her brainwashed descendants underneath her breath. "What gives you the right to brutalize vampires and call them abominations? I read my ancestor's journal, Mrs. Bennett, and I remember reading quite an illustrative section about an abandoned cottage," she harshly spat out, watching as Sheila recoiled at the horrifying reminder, but Ember didn't care, she was on a roll and had a point to make. Someone needed to smack sense into those haughty Servants of Nature with a superiority complex. "In 1864, trials were held leading to the execution of _one hundred_ people for " _allegedly_ " practicing witchcraft, _including_ your ancestor, _Emily Bennett_. You protect humans, the same race that would execute you by setting you aflame for having a gift; you Servants of Nature are guilty for imitating their unjust actions when it comes to vampires."

"That's- … why do you defend them with such passion? They are monsters blinded by their unquenchable bloodlust," Sheila could not vindicate herself after the redhead's impassioned speech, yet she was curious for the unwavering defense. Ember smiled softly at the matriarch, "I will not deny that there are vampires deserving a worse fate than death. Why, just the other day Elena and I tortured and killed a vampire who had absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. However, not everything is painted in black and white, Mrs. Bennett. I see the world in many shades of gray. Humans comprise of murderers, rapists, terrorists, etcetera, should the good, honest and decent people be defined solely by _their_ actions? You are a witch that practices spiritual magic and protects humans from harm, but there are also those witches that practice sacrificial magic and kill humans out of greed to garner more power. Should you be blamed for their ill-intents? The same can be said for vampires… why declare them all as heartless monsters who need to be put down? Why blame them for the despicable actions of their immoral counterparts?"

Unable to rebut with an appropriate response, Sheila distracted herself by bustling around in the kitchen, preparing tea for herself and her guest. Upon her return, she inhaled deeply and said, "I admit, I never thought of it like that. You, Ember Gilbert, _you_ _see the world in a unique way_. I am impressed. Bonnie informed me of your magical education and your secret community, and unfortunately, your kind is unheard of, a fable."

Ember beamed. "We keep ourselves hidden pretty well, huh?" she giggled, enjoying the lukewarm tea. "Look, Mrs. Bennett, I believe in equality between all species. In the wizarding communities, we have dozens upon dozens of magical creatures, all of whom live in harmony, not suffering from prejudices. Unlike the British community, but I digress." Staring solemnly at the matriarch, she spoke up, "I am sure Bonnie told you about my tumble with death and meeting your ancestor. I am Qetsiyah's Champion, and I was given the task to abolish all this bigotry between Servants of Nature and Vampires."

"Yes. _That_ I found most difficult to believe," Sheila's eyes glittered with interest and skepticism, "The originator of the Bennett Line is pro va-" Ember ignored the rest of Sheila's speech as her attention was captured by Qetsiyah, who had deposited herself beside Sheila and addressed her. Interrupting Sheila, Ember promptly revealed, "You allied yourself with the Leader of the Gemini Coven in the year 1994, month of May, to create a Prison World where your blood is one of the prominent keys to the spell. Am I correct?"

The eccentric, foreboding witch was reduced to a spluttering mess as she choked on her tea and stared, awestruck and agape at the redhead, "How-. Nobody knows of it. Nobody knew of my alliance with Joshua."

"Excluding the Spirits, Mrs. Bennett," Ember matter-of-factly pointed out, "I am the only person blessed with the ability to interact with Qetsiyah. She is currently sitting beside you, and imparted me with this secret knowledge to gain your trust and for you to believe in _our_ mutual goal. So, what say you?"

Sheila swallowed harshly; gone was the sense of distrust and cynicism. Sheila Bennett currently stared at Ember Gilbert in awe and reverence, eyes flickering to the _vacant_ spot beside her where the spirit of her originator currently sat.

* * *

Elena and Ember sat on their favorite booth at the Grill discussing the finishing touches for 'Operation Opening of the Tomb'. Leaning forward in a conspiratorial manner, Elena whispered, "So, Grams is only going to help us with the Tomb, or…" she drifted off pointedly.

"She's going to help with the whole Qetsiyah thingamajig. She's definitely on our side now, but it's going to take time for her to shed her prejudice, I mean, decades of despising vampires is not an easy feat to overcome, ya know," Ember beamed at the waitress, giddily accepting her chocolate milkshake and sucking a few elated slurps much to Elena's amusement as she primly drank from her café latté. Scrutinizing her twin's weary state and sunken eyes, Elena uttered, "You've been keeping something from me. C'mon spill, Em. You can never hide anything from me, I _know you_."

Imitating a deer caught in the headlights expression, Ember paused mid-slurp, the curly straw still caught between her plump lips. She turned away, frantically stirring the contents of her milkshake while desperately avoiding eye-contact with the knowing chocolate orbs of her twin. "I don't know what you're talking about, Laney. Don't be so paranoid. I just haven't been getting much sleep due to Operation Opening the Tomb," the redhead easily sidetracked. Unfortunately, despite genealogy, Elena and Ember _were_ twins, and soul sisters at that, and they could easily read the other without even trying.

"R _iii_ ght, another lie," Elena looked hurt. "Don't you trust me? I mean-, since when do we keep things from each other, Ember?!"

Ember pursed her lips into a mulish line, unable to withstand being the cause of her twin's distress and she avoided meeting the pair of watering eyes that were already brimming with unshed tears, "Laney, you know I trust you with my life. You're my twin, my other half-"

"Then what aren't you telling me?" she demanded, her voice raising a notch, prompting a few neighbors to blatantly stare at them. Ignoring her surroundings, Elena continued, undeterred, "You think I didn't detect your lie after Uncle Greg, Aunt Faith and Reina left? You disappeared with Uncle Greg for a while and you returned a different person. I stopped by your room to confront you and I found you gone. Jenna _freaked_ _out_ until Uncle John called and told her you're spending the night with him _and_ skipping school the next day, and since then, you've been avoiding _everyone_! Of course I would have noticed, Ember. What are you hiding and _why_ won't you tell me?" when Ember stubbornly remained quiet, her eyes deliberately focused on the murky contents of her milkshake, Elena decided it was time to bring out the big guns, and her last hope, "Remember that weekend we spent with mom and dad at the Lake House when we were six? We made an oath, a blood oath to _never_ keep anything from each other, no matter what. I didn't expect you to be the one to break it."

 _Success_. _Ka-Ching_!

Ember winced, recoiling violently at the sudden memory and wounded emerald orbs bore into stubborn chocolate ones. "You want to know what I am keeping from you?" she hissed, tossing a few dollars onto the table and abandoning her seat, "A Death Eater was caught on American soil, and before he killed himself, he gleefully revealed that Voldemort is _still_ after me! Actually, he never stopped! _Happy_?!" she hissed with vitriol.

And without another word, Ember departed the Grill, leaving her stupefied and suddenly morose twin behind to process the life-changing news that could either break the Gilberts or make them stronger.

* * *

Not knowing where to go since she carpooled with Elena for 'twin-time', Ember trudged aimlessly through town, ignoring the happy civilians around her. A part of her wondered if she made the right call regarding the ever-looming war between her and Voldemort; Uncle John and President Bane had been completely supportive of her decision, and Ember didn't regret it since she was planning on walking that specific path after graduating from college. However, a part of her desperately wanted to smack some sense into Voldefart and send him to an authentic Seer… for crying out loud, he was allowing a damn, foolish prophecy made by some drunken hack to rule his life… a prophecy that had become _null and void_ the split-second James and Lily Potter decided to banish her to an orphanage!

"Ah, hello, Ember." Emeralds shuttered in annoyance and she pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger before pivoting around to face the old fossil that apparently either couldn't take no for an answer, or simply couldn't comprehend the meaning of _fuck off!_

"Dumbledore. What do you want?" Ember brusquely spat out, uncaring over her impolite behavior toward the heralded wizard. Honestly, the redhead couldn't see it; to her, the wizened wizard gave off an aura of one who had lost all his marbles. Suddenly, Ember recognized her surroundings and she mentally facepalmed herself, while viciously chastising herself; lost in her morbid thoughts and aimless wanderings, she ended up standing between the Boarding House and the Potter Residence.

 _Great. Just perfect!_

James, Lily, Sirius, Marlene and a few other strangers she didn't know from Adam were all congregated by the terrace and looked to have been immersed in some discussion or whatever, but now that she appeared in their line of vision, every single one of them were unabashedly staring at her; some in hope and some in contempt. Only one person glanced at her apathetically, a man she had seen once before with a hooked nose, a curtain of greasy black hair and sallow skin.

Smiling benignly, Dumbledore ignored her obnoxious attitude, "Would you care to join us?"

Raising two perfectly plucked crimson eyebrows, Ember sneered, "And _why_ would I do that?"

A man with a heavily scarred face, wearing a bowler's hat that covered one eye, growled out, "We already heard about Wilkes, lassie. Do you honestly think us unaware? Suck up your damn pride, will y-"

" _Alastor!_ " Dumbledore, Sirius and James immediately reprimanded the man, prompting him to grumble obscenely under his breath. Ember snorted before a pronounced sneer marred her beautiful face, "Yeah, alright. Voldefart dismissed my neutrality and is coming after me. Congratulations! You got what you wanted, you all ruined my life, are you fucking happy now? Does my suffering bring you immense joy?!" she snarled out, and not giving them a chance of rebuttal, she hissed out, "But make no mistake, Dumbledore. I have no interest in joining your merry group of vigilantes. I'll deal with whatever Voldefart and his pathetic Death Munchers throw at me on my own, with the Magical Congress backing me up. I don't need you, and make no mistake – I'm going to fight to protect _my_ future, _my_ family, _my_ town and _my_ loved ones. You and your precious backward community can all burn for all I care!"

A stupefied silence met Ember's caustic diatribe and it was only broken by Lily's loud weeping, her body shaking with violent sobs as she burrowed her skinny frame into James' arms while he whispered sweet nothings in her ear. The members of the Flaming Chicken all gaped at her in a mixture of horror, shock and revulsion, but Ember didn't care; it was time they swallowed the bitter pill of reality and admitted the ugly truth.

The man with a hooked nose gazed at her neutrally, and didn't look the least bit affected by her biting words as he drawled out in a velvety tone, "Are you that bitter over the Potters giving you up? Is revenge worth it all? You immature child, but _of course_ , I expected nothing more from Potter's spawn." James glared at his nemesis and Sirius looked as though he were about to rip him a new one, but before pandemonium could ensue, musical laughter permeated the air and they all gaped in astonishment at the cantankerous redhead's sudden mood change.

"Ahh, thanks dude, I needed that," Ember giggled, wiping a few tears of laughter that escaped her eyelids before squarely meeting his vacant onyx orbs. "You think I appealed neutrality as a method of revenge? Revenge because those two tossed me like yesterday's trash at a poor excuse of an orphanage without a care? Well, I hate to burst your bubble, all of you, but that's not it. You see, ever since the age of ten when I found out I was adopted, I thanked god _every day_ , grateful to whoever my biological parents were, for giving me up. If I could turn back the time, I'd allow everything to occur exactly as it did, because I love _my_ parents and _my_ siblings. I had a happy childhood, and I am blessed with what I have. _I wouldn't change anything!_ The reason, the _true_ reason why I want all of you to rot, is because I _despise_ your community. You British, you're all a couple of bigoted bullies, all that 'Mudblood' and 'half-breed' nonsense you spout off, and the way you regard No-Majs with contempt, looking upon them as filthy low-lives," she scoffed, glaring at them all with malice, "Why the _fuck_ , would I willingly risk my life for a backward community and a bunch of disgraceful wizards and witches who think themselves as superior?! Who alienates those that aren't purebloods? Honestly, if Britain's wizarding community burns, I'd dance over your graves, because your people do not deserve a chance at life. And I sure as hell won't be helping a community filled with prejudice to flourish. So, suck on that!"

Ember parted them with one last sneer before turning away and running into the Boarding House, leaving behind a flabbergasted Order of the Phoenix to process her biting words. Clearing her throat, Hestia Jones, Muggleborn, piped up, "I hate to be the one to say it, but I believe the girl made an excellent point. If it weren't for you Albus, I would have died years ago, or be living a life of destitution because I tossed aside a proper Muggle education to attend Hogwarts and the blasted Ministry does not hire those without _pure_ blood," she mocked, shaking her head in disgust.

While the Order began a heated argument over Ember's words and Hestia's agreement, the aforementioned redhead found herself running into a dumbfounded yet concerned Damon's arms, weeping heavily into his chest, her body shaking due to the overload of information and the overwhelming stress of the past forty-eight hours.

"Whoa, Ember, what's wr-" Damon found himself silenced by velvety plump lips against his own. Before he could get lost in the heavenly kiss, he softly yanked her away from him, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ember. What are you-"

"Please, Damon," she whispered, entrancing almond-shaped emerald eyes imploring for him to give her the release she so desperately needed, and to help with a blissful distraction. "I know, I know you love Katherine and tonight you're leaving town with her, but-" she bit her lower lip nervously and Damon found his cock harden at the sight, his irises darkening and his pupils dilating with lust, "I've been having a horrible day, in fact, these past two days have been hellish for me, and I just need you to help me forget and take my mind off of how things are just going horribly shitty-" It was Ember's turn to be silenced by a searing kiss, one she gladly responded with equal fervor.

Sex was the last thing Damon should be thinking about when he should be planning on how to acclimatize Katherine with the vast new world of the twenty-first century, but with the vivacious, ethereal beauty begging him, molding her body with his and relying on him, Damon couldn't think of anything he'd rather do than ravish the powerful redhead. Without once breaking contact with her, Damon flashed Ember up to his bedroom and slammed her back against his closed door, immediately ripping her jeans and silky top into shreds, followed almost instantly by her bra and panties. Cupping her milky, well-endowed breast with one hand, Damon went to remove his shirt when suddenly, plump, velvety lips murmured something into his mouth and his clothes vanished, leaving him stark naked, goosebumps erupting all over his body at the combined effects of her magic and her warm, soft skin against his, especially when those creamy supple thighs hugged his hips, bringing his length flush against her leaking pussy.

"Damn, you're so sexy, you know that?" Damon growled against her breast, immediately latching on to an erect nipple. Gasping at the intense feeling of pleasure, Ember moaned, "Less talking, more fucking." Which only succeeded in turning him on even more and a part of Damon hoped this wasn't a vivid sex dream.

He bent lower to wrap his tongue around her clit, but Ember's patience had run out; she wandlessly banished him over to his king-sized bed with a mere flick of her hand and pounced on top of him, loving the sensation of his silky sheets against her naked body, and, without any warning, she straddled him and buried his entire cock into her leaking folds. Loud, needy moans escaped from the vampire and the witch, especially when her inner muscles clenched around his throbbing length, and while riding him vigorously, she sucked on his neck, making him growl with lust and desire.

"You're so, so _tight_ ," he hissed, grabbing onto her hips and pounding into her, not bothering to hold back. He slid his hand between their bodies and started teasing her clit as she sucked on a nipple. Tension started building between them as they both lost control and with a sudden roar paired with an intense feminine moan, they both reached a heavy climax.

Panting against his left pectoral, captivating emerald eyes bore into dilated electric blues, and when her lips parted, Damon welcomed her following words with much gusto.

"Another round?"

* * *

"Where have you been, young lady?" came Jenna's enraged voice from behind her. Huffing in irritation, Ember turned around and found herself facing Jenna, Jeremy and Elena, and she didn't need to be a rocket scientist to understand the reason for their ire. Elena fessed up.

Tossing her purse onto a nearby table, Ember pushed past them and entered the kitchen in desperate need for a bottle of water to parch her dry throat from the passionate yelling and moaning Damon had her erupting after three rounds of sex.

Meeting the glares of her family head on, Ember couldn't help but sass, "Let me guess, this is an intervention? No, no, wait, let me have another go. Elena couldn't keep her mouth shut and immediately spilled her guts out? Which one is it?"

"I'm going to ignore your hostility and chalk it up to stress," Jenna retorted, stalking towards her niece, "Tonight you're overseeing Sheila open the tomb and you found out that there's a maniac still out for your blood. _But_ , that does not explain _why_ you kept it from us?" There was a stubborn silence from the redhead; Jeremy suddenly piped up, "You told Uncle John, didn't you?"

Turning away from the burning stares of her beloved family, each one ranging different expressions on their faces, Ember concentrated on the wall as tears cascaded down her olive complexion, her words wobbling slightly, "What do you want me to say? You were all starting to _finally_ heal from mom and dad's death, and we were all introduced to this new world, getting sucked into vampire business. I was dead for three hours and in a three day coma, and-, and I couldn't bear to have you all worried over me again, and live in a state of constant fear. I didn't want y'all to treat me any differently; I wanted you to stay happy for a while longer. _Is that so bad_?" Pivoting around to establish eye-contact with them, she hysterically shouted, "So, yeah, okay. _Guilty!_ I'm sorry. _I'm sorry_ for wanting to give you a stress-free life. _I'm sorry_ for not wanting to worry you. _I'm SORRY_ for not wanting you to deal with another loss, because let's face it, Voldemort isn't exactly a stroll in the park, ok? _I'M SORRY!_ "

And before she knew it, Ember was sucked into a giant bear hug; three pairs of arms clutching onto her tightly, as they relished in the unadulterated love and skin contact of each other. Elena frantically started wiping away her own rivulets of tears and sobbed out, "You're a complete and utter idiot, Em. When are you going to get it into your thick skull that your problems are _our_ problems? Voldemort doesn't stand a chance when the Gilberts stand united. I can't believe you were going to suffer with this crucial piece of information on your own!"

"What else aren't you telling us?" Jeremy quietly asked, chocolate brown eyes gazing solemnly at his older sister. Sighing loudly, Ember roughly expelled all the tears coating her face, burrowing herself deeper into Jenna's arms and in a meek voice, revealed, "I joined the Auror Corps-"

"You WHAT?" Jenna, Elena and Jeremy yelled, aghast.

Disentangling herself from the many limbs, Ember started pacing the living room, keeping her family at arm's reach, "Look, becoming an Auror was already part of my plans, it just happened sooner, okay? My long-term plan was to graduate high school, attend college and either during my sophomore year or once I graduate college, I'll join the aurors and have a profession outside the wizarding community, simultaneously. But now, now that Voldefart and his Death Munchers are coming after me, it's all happening sooner."

"Sweetie, we get that. You always wanted to become an auror, I just," Jenna huffed, dragging a hand through her caramel waves in distress, "Why can't you be the teenager and allow the adults to protect you?"

Smiling sadly at her aunt, Ember dejectedly said, "Jen, I can't ask that of Uncle Greg. If I weren't an American citizen then America wouldn't be affected by the war. No matter what, Voldemort would tear apart anyone standing in his way to get to me. Me being an auror, I'd be able to keep all of you safe. They're looking for a _Rose Potter_ , but I can't hide under that false identity for long. They _will_ find me, and I'd rather they attack me on the field, than in Mystic Falls were anyone could become collateral damage."

"But, what about school?" Elena predictably argued. Laughing softly, feeling the tension leave the air, and the burden lighter now that her family was sharing it with her, Ember pointed out, "Laney, I'm not quitting school. The only difference is that sometimes I'll have to vanish at the most random times, kick some ass and come back. I'm a part-time auror, not full-time."

"Promise us, no more secrets," Elena insisted, chocolate orbs imploring emeralds. Embracing her twin tightly, Ember whispered, "Promise."

It wasn't until after Ember escaped to her room for a shower before she had to meet the Salvatores and the Bennetts at Fell's Church, did Elena corner her with a knowing smirk, totally disregarding the fact that she was stark naked – after all, they had already seen it all and were soul sisters, "You had sex. Spill, twinny."

Groaning out loud, Ember shoved Elena into their adjoining bathroom and locked the door, she too not caring about nudity when it came to her twin, and quickly lavished her hair with shampoo, "Damon-" Elena gasped loudly, cutting her off in an instant as her gorgeous face morphed into a mixture of shock and exuberance. "Yes, Laney, I had sex with the one and only, Damon Salvatore… three times… that's it. It was _just_ sex, just a moment of release after all the stress I've been going through. And no, before you ask, I'm not pining over him, I don't have a crush on him, and I know he's leaving tonight with your evil doppelgänger, and I could care less. Anything else you'd like to ask?"

Smirking cheekily, Elena started painting her nails a vibrant violet and after a few minutes of silence as the twins both did their own thing, she blurted out, unable to keep a lid on her damned curiosity, "Share the smut, Em. Is he any good?"

The mellifluous laughter of the twins echoed down the corridor as they began comparing their personal sexual experiences with the two entirely different Salvatore brothers.

* * *

Ember, Elena and Bonnie made sure to make an appearance at Duke's party for a while and mostly hung out with the new blonde couple, Caroline and Matt. The five of them drank cheap bear, mingled with the other teenagers of Mystic Falls, and obviously, ignored the Brits who were stalking the redhead the entire time with their eyes from afar, especially two hours into the party, when the two Gilberts and the lone Bennett suspiciously ditched the wild, boisterous party leaving the bubbly, cheerful Forbes to cover for them.

Entering the church ruins, Ember took in Sheila standing off to the side, patiently waiting for them, with Stefan, Damon, Anna and Ben on the opposite side, leaning against the wall and avoiding eye-contact with the old and intimidating witch. "Ahh, Bonnie, come stand beside me. I want you to learn what I am about to do," Sheila smiled, beckoning her nervous granddaughter forward. Since the Talisman was kept safe and untarnished, the powerful spell would be easy to undo without a hitch.

Elena subtly rotated her gaze from Ember to Damon, both of whom were completely nonchalant, comfortably standing beside each other; the brunette couldn't help but shake her head in amusement – if she didn't know her twin so well, and if she were kept out of the loop, then she wouldn't even recognize the two recently had wild sex a few hours ago; they looked perfectly normal, as though unaffected by each other and acting like they never saw each other naked. _That's Ember, Post-Tyler, for you_ , Elena inwardly thought with a fond smile, only Ember could regard sex to be a business transaction or a regular extracurricular activity without any nervous fumbling, blushing, or awkwardness once the deed was done.

Both Damon and Anna had two blood bags in their hands for Katherine and Pearl respectively, a feat that was loudly praised by Sheila who would have went ballistic if they dared to offer a human from the party nearby.

Smirking at Stefan, Damon mockingly whispered, "Admit it. You can't wait to get rid of me."

Stefan chuckled dryly, barely sparing his older brother a glance, "I can't wait to get rid of you." Ember and Elena traded a sorrowful glance, both of them knowing that the Salvatore Brothers were blatantly lying to one another.

Sheila cleared her throat, demanding the attention to be solely fixated on her, "Since the Talisman is already imbued with a celestial event and Emily's magic, Bonnie and I will chant the spell to unseal the tomb. You get your girl and you get your mother-" here, the matriarch of the Bennett Line addressed Damon and Anna respectively, with stern practicality, "-and get out. Ember will burn the rest as I, _for_ _now_ , only trust her."

Damon nodded without a moment of hesitation, but Anna grudgingly made a noise of acceptance while still managing to glare maliciously at an unbothered Ember. Stefan abruptly straightened up, "Well, I'm gonna go get the gasoline. I'll be right back." Elena however, yanked him away from the exit, smiling softly at him. "No need, Stefan. We have Ember, remember?" she chuckled. Stefan grinned sheepishly and stood back just as a clicking noise resounded, signaling that the tomb had been successfully unsealed.

"I'm going to go with them, make sure there's no funny business," Ember stated, her eyes burning a hole into Anna's back. Elena frowned in concern but obediently nodded and remained beside Stefan, Sheila and Bonnie. The three vampires and the lone witch marched into the tomb and upon scrutinizing her dreary surroundings and the plethora of desiccated vampires that were strewn randomly on the ground, Ember couldn't help but murmur, "Wow, welcome to the Gothic Mission From Hell."

Damon chuckled and kept a firm hold on the redhead, not trusting Anna and Ben in the slightest. Anna was the first to find her mother and wasted no time in forcing the two blood bags into her fossilized mouth. Unfortunately, Damon wasn't as lucky.

In a burst of randomness, Damon flashed over to Pearl who still looked frail and weak, the color not yet returning to her pallid face, and curled a hand around her neck, throttling her and slamming her fragile form against the wall. Trained well in the art of paranoia, Ember whipped out her wand and aimed it at a baffled Ben and a hysterical Anna, before addressing a snarling and volatile Damon, "Damon, what the hell are you doing? Let her go!"

"She's not here!" he spat out, prompting a confused frown out of the redhead, "What? Damo-"

"KATHERINE IS _NOT_ HERE!" Damon roared, and suddenly, it all clicked into place. Ember gazed horrified at the scene playing out, comprehending that Katherine Pierce was _never_ trapped in the tomb for 145 years and that Damon was tricked; Anna kept muttering for Damon to let her mother go, but Damon was lost in his rage and his grief, "Why do you get a happy ending?"

It was at that moment that Stefan materialized beside them with a stubborn Elena, who refused to be left behind, immediately latching on to a bewildered Ember's arm. "What's going on?" Stefan worriedly demanded, forest eyes widening on the morbid scene in front of him, eyes flickering from a weakly struggling Pearl to Damon who was throttling her, to a hysterical Anna and a baffled Ben, before lastly, widening in confusion at an enraged Ember who had her wand out and pointed at Anna.

"Damon, _please_!" Anna begged, looking a frantic mess, "You wouldn't have helped me, none of you would!"

"Damon!" Ember snapped, succeeding in awakening Damon from his trance, "Let. Pearl. Go. Let her speak."

Once Pearl was released from the vice grip and Anna embraced her tightly with tears streaming down her face, they all watched as Pearl sucked in the glorious air into her previously blocked airways and choked out in a raspy tone, doe eyes focused on an incensed Damon, "The guard. The one at the church. The one who locked us in. She promised to turn him. He was _obsessed_ with her. She had him under her spell, like everybodyelse. … _He_ _let her go_."

Damon slumped against the wall, ignoring everyone but Pearl, unconsciously shaking his head in denial, not wanting to believe he wasted 145 years…

"We made a deal, Ember," Anna snarled as Ben led Pearl out of the tomb. Once Ember nodded and gestured for her to leave, reminding her of their agreement, Anna decided to part Damon with one last piece of vital information that would break him and bring him more suffering, "Last I saw her was Chicago, 1983. She _knew_ where you were Damon. She _didn't care_."

Elena gasped, covering her agape mouth with her hand, her heartstrings tugging at the complete woebegone expression on Damon's hurt visage. Stefan growled lowly and clutched onto his brother for support as the three vampires left their presence and departed the tomb. Ember spoke up in a hush, "Stefan, take Damon home. Elena and I will visit you two tomorrow. I still have a job to finish."

Ember cast a powerful _Incendio_ and watched as the twenty-five desiccated vampires let out a barely audible pitiful moan in their mummified state, their gray skin charring and resembling charcoal. Ember watched as the tomb was set ablaze by her wand, and sorrowfully turned her back on the previously suffering, and now deceased vampires.

Grimacing at Sheila, Ember uttered, "It is done."

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Once again, for the third night in a row since I discovered a megalomaniac was_ _ **still**_ _after my blood, I find myself unable to close my eyes and fall into a blissful sleep. Haunted by the dangers lying await for me and my loved ones, enraged by the insipid Dark Lord and his unwavering faith in a fraudulent prophecy that for all intents and purposes, is null and void… I find myself once again in Mystic Falls Cemetery._

 _I am currently taking a leaf out of Elena's book – here I am, sitting in front of mom and dad's graves while writing in my diary. Wow, how the tables have turned. I don't want to drown my sorrows in booze until I pass out… I already tried burying my depression and stress in sex with Damon…_

 _Speaking of which,_ _ **I had sex with Damon Salvatore!**_

 _It just happened. The Boarding House was_ _ **right**_ _there. That stupid fossil, his flaming chickens and grease-boy annoyed me, and I felt my temper spike and… the Boarding House was just standing there in front of me, beckoning me… Damon's car was parked idly by on the driveway, and the desire to jump his bones and impale myself onto him, feeling the sensual release, and having my brains fucked by the dashing Salvatore… it was an offer too good to refuse._

 _I know mom and dad are probably frowning at me from the heavens, disappointed in their smart, little girl who had always been responsible and so put-together._

 _ **Newflash!**_ _They died! They died and left me here! They died and now I feel somehow responsible over Elena and Jeremy's safety since I have potent magic coursing through my veins._

' _Oh, Ember sweetheart, you're the witch in the family, you have to carry the burden of protecting everyone. Nothing can defeat magic right?'_ _ **Aeughh! WRONG!**_ _Magic can defeat magic. The enemy has magic. Voldemort has like sixty or seventy fucking years of experience… I only have seven!_

 _So yeah, nothing much to say… all I seem to be doing is ranting and raging and honestly, I'm all pooped out._

 _Fuck off!_

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

A teardrop dropped onto the cover of her diary, but Ember didn't care. Emerald orbs couldn't detach themselves from her parents' headstones.

After a couple of minutes of utter silence, she slowly stood up, ready to apparate into her bedroom, but before she vanished into thin air, she stared up at the vast night sky, ignoring the stars that were winking merrily down at her.

"Mom, Dad. If you're listening… please give me the strength. Give me the strength to fight and to survive."

* * *

A skeletal man with a ghastly snake-like appearance was currently pacing in his Throne Room, ignoring two of his most faithful followers that were both knelt down on the ground with their heads bowed and waiting for the permission to speak, as he was too absorbed with the gruesome image his subconscious created.

Why in Merlin's name did he see a multitude of decomposed bodies littered around in some deep cavern with barely any light? It made absolutely no sense whatsoever… the grotesque corpses resembled inferi, but not completely, and he was mind-boggled by the disturbing vision. But as quickly as it materialized, it vanished… how oddly curious.

Shaking his head, Voldemort decided to ignore the abnormality that spontaneously occurred and concentrated on Lucius Malfoy and Rodolphus Lestrange. "Rise," he ordered in his regular sibilant tone, red gleaming slits gazing menacingly at both Death Eaters. "You better not have returned with failure, otherwise you won't like the consequences," he hissed, fingering his wand in an adoring fashion, itching to cast a couple of _Crucio_ s.

"My Lord," Lucius prefaced, his handsome aristocratic feature remained stoic, but his silver eyes were wary, "Rodolphus and I have searched the Ministry for Rose Potter's whereabouts, despite the community previously believing her to be dead. All we have is her living status in the archives. Now that Amelia Bones was voted Minister, I do not have much leeway-"

" _Crucio!_ " Speaking menacingly, and making himself heard over Lucius's tormented screams, Voldemort addressed a twitching Rodolphus who had recovered his previous attractive, debonair looks after two years of freedom from Azkaban, "Do you have anything _good_ to impart, or like Lucius, you have come to me empty-handed?!"

Bowing lowly, Rodolphus' sea green eyes confidently connected with unforgiving rubies, "My Lord, although Lucius and I did not succeed in gathering Rose Potter's location, we have not returned empty-handed." Those were the magic words that had Lucius released from the anguished effects of the Cruciatus Curse. Ignoring the quivering form of the Malfoy Lord, Voldemort stroked his faithful familiar, Nagini's head and focused intently on Rodolphus, " _Well_?"

A nefarious smirk curled on Voldemort's lipless mouth after Rodolphus explained a wizard he and Lucius managed to obtain into his service, and on cue, Rabastan entered the Throne Room, dragging a man with an untidy nest of tangled raven black hair with a red streak on one side, fair skin, and ink blue eyes framed by long dark lashes, dressed in dark plaid trousers, black boots, a black studded belt and a grubby cloak that looked like it had seen better days; a lone gaudy silver-green ring in the form of a Kudu was nestled on a finger. Once they reached his throne, Rabastan forced the wizard to his knees, awaiting the explicit permission to rise.

"Thank you Rabastan, you may step aside," came the sibilant hiss. The wizard had an aura of cocksure arrogance, but at least he knew to respect him; prowling his kneeling form as though he were a prey, Voldemort coldly hissed, "I have been told by my most loyal followers that you are reputed to be the best Snatcher alive."

"Yes, m'Lord," the wizard replied, ink blue eyes not once disconnecting from the cold marble floor. Spider-like fingers touched the crown of his head, "I have an important job for you. I want you to track down Rose Potter and bring her to me _alive_. I, being the merciful Lord, will grant you gold and any boon you so desire. Are you able to get the job done?"

Smirking, the Snatcher instigated eye-contact with the Dark Lord, "I can track anyone with a magical signature, m'Lord."

"Very well, Scabior. Do not disappoint and do not return empty-handed. Do with her as you please, but keep her mind sane, and most importantly, bring Rose Potter to me _alive_ ," Voldemort ordered. It was time to end the bane of his existence once and for all.

* * *

Down in the tomb, hours after the raging inferno died out, a petite figure silently skulked inside with a large cooler in hand. Stealthy footsteps didn't pause until standing in front of a charred, desiccated vampire. Snatching a blood bag from the cooler, the vampire slowly and then greedily sucked the euphoric and most welcome taste of blood, and gleeful obsidian orbs observed as the color returned to the assumed dead vampire's face.

 _One down, twenty-four to go_.

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Sheila Bennett – Jasmine Guy**_

 _ **Annabelle "Anna" Zhu – Malese Jow**_

 _ **Ben McKittrick – Sean Faris**_

 _ **Albus Dumbledore – Richard Harris**_

 _ **Scabior – Nick Moran**_

 _ **Voldemort – Ralph Fiennes**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **This was a long one, whew! I hope you enjoyed this chapter?! XD**

 **(1)A lot happened in this chapter, and I finally added a scene with Voldemort – something a few of my Readers have been looking forward to reading! So there you go! (2) I couldn't help but add Scabior! The wizard is one of my favorite characters for some unknown reason, LOL! Voldemort sent the best Snatcher to find Ember, will he succeed? (3) Also, the Voldemort scene: Ember's Occlumency barrier was down for a moment when she entered the tomb, so Voldemort received images of the desiccated vampires, but doesn't understand why. For those who didn't understand… I am hinting that a specific connection** _ **does**_ **exist between them ;) (4) How did you like the Ember/Order of the Flaming Chicken interaction? Ember hates the fact that she was thrown like trash by James and Lily, but the reason for her neutrality – I mean, seriously, why would she risk her life and those of her loved ones to save a bigoted community? (5) Sheila Bennett did not die! YAY! With Emily's Talisman, Sheila wouldn't have exhausted herself and wouldn't die. I mean, she's a Bennett witch and a powerful one at that, I found it** _ **ridiculous**_ **that a spell made by** _ **her**_ **ancestor would end up killing her, I mean** _ **seriously**_ **?! (6) Ember/Damon! AAH! Did** _ **anyone**_ **see that coming?! But don't get ahead of yourselves my Dear Faithful Readers, just because they had sex and** _ **might**_ **, huuuge MIGHT become a couple, it doesn't mean they'll end up together in the future, so don't get your hopes up only to end up disappointed. In all honesty, I'm not rooting for an Ember/Damon endgame, but that** _ **might**_ **change.** _ **MIGHT!**_ **(7) Ending… can you guess who entered the tomb and how come they didn't burn to death? Hmm… I wonder, LOL! Plot-twist! Plot-twist! ;)**

 **R &R.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 16:**

Standing ramrod straight for two hours was nothing but torture for Ember Gilbert. Her body was sore, her muscles tensed, and she was aching all over, and to make matters worse, Ember could barely walk without ostensibly wincing in pain. The seminar introducing new recruits into the Auror Program had finally reached cessation and try as she might, but Ember epically failed to suppress a loud moan of relief, the sound eliciting many bewildered glances in her direction, and she limped over to her purse, rooted through it and guzzled back a pain relief potion.

"At first, I thought you were crabby 'cause you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. _Clearly_ , that ain't it. Start talking, girlfriend," Reina Bane prompted, a sly smirk materializing on her beautiful face.

Reina Bane, being the only daughter _and_ child of the formidable President of MACUSA, accepted an education at Ilvermorny with a heavy heart, and had mentally prepared herself for the ton of suck-ups latching on to her like leeches to get on her good side and build fake friendships with the sole purpose of obtaining an easy ticket to a bright and successful future. During her first year at Ilvermorny, Reina was absconded by pretentious airheads and fakers who only looked upon her as a means to an end, and for the entire year, the brunette felt alone and friendless, despite the fact that she was endlessly surrounded by witches and wizards from her year – none of them were genuine. And then, a fortnight after the start of her second year at Ilvermorny, the vivacious, emerald-eyed, redhead she had been covertly watching with a spark of envy due to the fact that she effortlessly sauntered into Ilvermorny and formed genuine rapports with many witches and wizards from their year and above, approached her with a vibrant smile and invited her to have lunch at her table. The redhead showed zero interest in her parentage and neither did her posse. That was marked as the moment Ember Gilbert and Reina Bane evolved from acquaintances, to friends, and lastly, best friends, and the redhead went as far as inviting her to her idyllic hometown and introducing her to her twin sister. Since then, the two girls were joined at the hip, both of them startled and exuberant that they both had goals of becoming an auror and they vowed that, even after graduation, they would remain best friends.

Six years after making their pact, not only had Reina been inducted into Mystic Falls as an honorary Gilbert, but Ember's partner as aurors – which, she had a sneaky suspicion was arranged by her father. After discovering that the two girls would remain together in their profession, Reina impatiently waited for the seminar to begin, only to observe Ember's irritated behavior, stirring her curiosity since the redhead had been looking forward to this moment almost as much as she had.

Ember pouted and linked arms with Reina as they marched over to the canteen for some invigorating coffee, "Cliffnotes version, my friend is going through a rough patch after finding out two weeks ago that the girl he had been desperately in love with to the point of obsession, never gave two shits about him. So, naturally I've been there for him and he decided that his best form of therapy is to bang the living daylights out of me-" Reina choked on her coffee and erupted into full-blown laughter, prompting a half-hearted glare from Ember. "It's NOT funny, Ray! For two weeks he's been acting like a limpet! I barely have any time for myself and I'm sore and bruised and aching _all over_. My poor vagina is abused!" she concluded with a whine.

Chugging down a bottle of water to clear her airway, Reina inhaled and exhaled for a while so that she could coherently assemble a sentence after choking on the scalding caffeine, "I'm sorry, Emmy, but you gotta admit. It's hilarious." Seeing Ember's annoyed expression, she gestured her hands in peace, "Okay, fine. You got two solutions to your… _predicament_ ," she grinned slyly, "Either you continue on as you were and deplete your potion supply to numb the pain and keep waddling like a penguin, _or_ you smack some sense into your friend and put a stop to the sexscapades or at least minimize them."

Ember sighed loudly and propped her cheek on a closed fist; Damon had been a wreck since Anna confessed to seeing Katherine perfectly alive and content and indifferent to Damon's whereabouts. Stefan had called the day after, exclaiming that Damon up and vanished, implying that the heartbroken vampire was out of town drowning his sorrows by draining all alcoholic drinks from random bars, or scoping Sorority Houses for snacks. Three days later, Stefan called again, but he no longer sounded worried, but aggravated and a touch resigned, and when Ember, Elena and Caroline stopped by, the case was solved when they witnessed Damon playing Twister with four sorority chicks, all of whom were drunk, compelled and had many bite marks littering their scantily-clad bodies. Ember didn't know _how_ exactly their term of agreement was invoked, but the second glassy electric blue eyes zeroed in on her, his expression turned sober and he instantly shot up on his feet, dropped the girls off to wherever he pilfered them from and appeared in her room, planting a scorching kiss on her lips… and the rest was history.

Damon no longer fed on innocents; he still visited the Grill on a daily basis to drink and used Ember as an anchor to his pain. Ember didn't mind – Damon had over a hundred years of experience in the art of sex, and he never failed to bring her to euphoric completion, but two weeks of sex, sex, sex, and nothing _but_ sex, and Ember was nearly at her breaking point. Her poor human body couldn't handle supernatural sex with an insatiable vampire and a week and a half into their extracurricular activities, whenever Ember found a spare moment away from Damon, they were spent brewing numerous pain relief and numbing potions.

"Well," Reina leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner, "Is he at least good in the sack?"

All irritation melted away, replaced by an arrogant smirk, "He's better than good. He's a God compared to all the others I've bagged." Reina chucked away her empty paper cup and mock-scowled at her, "You lucky whore. I need some stress relief. I need a man in my life," she sighed wistfully.

"Cadets!" Ember and Reina whipped around so fast, their necks nearly cricked at the sound of the Auror responsible for them – Auror Brianna Carac. Although she had a friendly smile on her face, her black eyes were glinting sternly, "Hope I'm not interrupting a braiding session. We got training. Let's go, cadets!"

They didn't need to be told off twice. Carac may be good-natured and laidback when compared to the other more experienced aurors, but she sure had a scary streak when angered or disobeyed. For the next four hours, Carac tired them out to the bone; she started off by honing their reflexes by casting stinging hexes at the two girls until they deftly dodged all of them without getting hit once, before moving on to defensive spells and then a few offensive ones.

Auror training was rigorous, grueling and intensive and it demanded a lot out of you, but the American Program differed vastly from their British counterparts. In Britain, training lasted three years, however in America, it was only a mere year due to the fact that the American Institutes were advanced in their teachings and offered various subjects, therefore, once students graduated at the age of sixteen or seventeen, they would have completed the first two years of auror training during their schooling. Each student auror would have an experienced auror responsible for them to further hone their training in magical combat, but their first and only year of training consisted of two disciplines only: Concealment and Disguise, and Stealth and Tracking.

It was four in the afternoon when Carac finally dismissed the two exhausted and achingly sore girls. Bidding each other farewell, Ember whipped out her phone and leisurely strolled toward the fireplaces to floo home, grateful that Uncle Greg installed the Floo Network in the Gilbert Residence since she was too worn out to apparate home and didn't fancy accidentally splinching herself in the process. Emerald eyes widened at the plethora of texts and missed calls, and she paused to peruse through them.

 **Little Red, where are you? Call me. – Damon.**

 _Ugh, no, no, no, a thousand times, NO!_ Her energy had reached depletion and she was in no abso-frickin-lutely mood to have another round of sex. Heck, Damon stopped by the house two hours before the seminar started for a quickie.

 **Em! I've been calling you nonstop all morning. SOS. Major SOS!**

 **Mom mentioned there's been another animal attack this morning near the church ruins.**

 **I'll be at Matt's all day, so call me when you have the chance. xoxo – Caroline.**

The color drained from Ember's face. Damon wasn't stupid enough to blow his cover and if he did feed from someone, he was smart enough to get rid of the body – not to sound heartless or anything. That meant it was Anna, Ben or Pearl, or probably some random vampire stopping through town…

 **Hey, Em. I know you're busy with auror training or whatever, but I just wanted to check up on you and let you know that Jenna looked into my birth mother and I'm gonna go to Grove Hill to visit a friend of hers, a Trudy Peterson. So don't get all worried if I'm not home when you return from MACUSA. Love you! – Elena.**

 **Ember, we need to talk. It's urgent. Call me when you're home. – Stefan.**

Okay, that sounded positively daunting…

 **Ember honey,**

 **You assumed correctly, Alaric is well aware of vampires. I have some bad news. I couldn't bring myself to tell Elena, I think it will come out better from you. I'll be waiting for you at the house. Hurry back. – Jenna.**

 _Seriously_! She had been gone for seven hours and already everything had shot to hell.

Shaking her head, Ember took a pinch of floo powder from the baroque basin and stepped into the fireplace… to risk sounding arrogant, but without her, her family and friends imitated chickens with their heads chopped off.

* * *

"I hate traveling by floo powder," Ember grumbled to herself as she slammed a hand onto the wall to steady herself from falling headfirst onto the ground before brushing off all the leftover soot from her clothes. Ember hated traveling by floo powder and portkey – especially since her landing was seven times out of ten, ungraceful – her preference always having been apparition; once you got over the sensation of being sucked through a tube, you became immune to the uncomfortable process of vanishing into thin air.

The distinct sound of an amused chuckle and the clearing of a throat brought her attention to her surroundings, a telltale sign that she wasn't alone and she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Jenna and Stefan sitting on the island in the kitchen. Jenna was stifling her laughter in response to Stefan's comical expression of awe and shock and she remembered that the vampire had yet to be enlightened of the many different methods of wizarding transportation.

 _Oh well, now he does._

"Aloha, peeps," Ember grinned, waving her wand around her form to clean up any remaining residue she may have missed from the nuisance that was floo traveling. Stefan floundered to make sense of the phenomena, his widened eyes flickering from her to Jenna to the fireplace and back again, "The-the fire turned _green_. Green! And you, you…"

Taking pity on the poor guy, Jenna patted his hand lightly, a gentle smile plastered on her face, "You'll get used to it. The more time you spend around Ember, you won't even bat an eyelash at all the unusual feats she can do." Shrugging, Ember hopped onto a bar stool and slapped some spaghetti onto the plate Jenna slid over to her, nodding her head in appreciation, "It's one of the many types of wizarding transport. I'll give you a 101 later on. So both of you texted me with urgent news, and you're both here waiting for me, so something tells me what you both wanted to tell me is interrelated…?"

Jenna grimaced and looked slightly hesitant, "As you know, I've been spending time with Ric-" She couldn't help but blush a crimson red at Ember's sly wink and knowing grin, "He mentioned in passing that he, uh, he likes me," cue her blush spreading to the tips of her ears, "but that he isn't ready for anything yet as his wife's death is still fresh in his mind."

"Oh," Ember blinked, her fork pausing in mid-air on the way to her mouth and she instantly dropped it onto her plate, a sad expression crossing her face, "I'm sorry, Jen. That must really suck." Jenna nodded rapidly as she fumbled with a loose string of the tablecloth, "Yeah it does. Suck that is. But not for the reasons you think… Ember, his wife was called _Isobel_."

Emeralds widened in shock and she took in a sharp intake of breath. "But that, that doesn't mean it's Isobel, Elena's biological mother _Isobel_. I mean, what are the odds? There's like seven billion people in the planet, give or take a few… there's obviously more than one Isobel, it's probably just a coincidence," she rambled onwards, completely oblivious to the grim looks Jenna and Stefan traded in the midst of her verbal diarrhea.

"Ember, I showed him a picture of Isobel during her high school years," Jenna gently broke the news, "It's her. Alaric was crushed. He had absolutely no idea his wife had a child at the age of sixteen and had given her up for adoption." Crestfallen at the news, Ember stubbornly put it on the backburner for the moment and turned her shrewd gaze towards Stefan who had been suspiciously silent the entire time.

"What about you, Stefano?"

"I didn't mean to keep this from you or Elena, but… after the dance, Alaric was suspiciously close by when Elena staked Noah. Damon compelled him, asked if he'd seen anything, and he answered in negative. But… when you and Elena went to confront Anna-"Jenna cut in for Stefan at that point, "Well, naturally I was worried that Anna harmed Alaric in the process to get Jonathan's journal, so I sent Stefan his way to make sure he was relatively safe."

Ember was seriously getting dizzy with the two of them cutting into each other and finishing off each other's sentences. Rubbing her temples, her lunch all but forgotten, the redhead concentrated on Stefan as he parted his lips to continue where he had left off, "Alaric nearly shot me with a crossbow, to be precise, _a wooden stake_. He knows about me and Damon, he always did, Ember. He knew about me because he recognized Damon." Ember cocked her head in confusion and Jenna's grimace grew more pronounced. Inhaling a deep breath, Stefan softly blurted out, "Damon killed Isobel, Ember. He heard Alaric walk in and disappeared with her body, and ever since then, he's been desperate to recover Isobel's body. He's in town _because_ of Damon."

"Well fuck! I did not see that one coming," was all Ember managed to utter in her catatonic state.

"Ember! _Language_!" Jenna chastised.

* * *

Sitting in the quaint living room that belonged to her biological mother's best friend felt kind of surreal to Elena. Her index finger tapped at an incessant pace against her forearm as she waited for Trudy Peterson to return with her high school yearbooks. The walls were painted in varied shades of yellow and it basically screamed cheerful and optimistic, which struck Elena as odd since Trudy radiated anxiety and seemed a bit jumpy from the moment she entered the threshold.

A part of Elena wished that she curbed her impulsiveness and patiently waited for Ember to return from auror training. The brunette always felt whole with her redheaded counterpart, and Ember's presence always awoke her inner confidence. However, the other part of Elena, the one that sounded distinctively like the aforementioned redhead, knew that this was something she had to do for herself. Yes, Stefan offered to accompany her, but sometimes, Elena had to play the part of the lone wolf and voyage on her lonesome… she couldn't have somebody perpetually holding her hands and instilling her with confidence, she needed to spread her wings and toughen up.

"Ah, here they are," Trudy had joined her while she had been lost in thought, and her slightly nasal voice caused her to jump. Elena's face flushed in mortification and she nervously tucked an errant strand behind her ear as she took in the plethora of yearbooks laid out for her on the table. Trudy grinned at her reaction, but thankfully didn't comment, "I haven't thought about Isobel in _years_ , you know. The last I saw her was about… hmm, seventeen years ago. Yes, seventeen years ago, when she left to go have you."

"Oh, ah, you two never kept in touch?" Elena couldn't imagine that happening to her. No matter what life threw at her, no matter what the future brings, Elena would never lose contact with Caroline and Bonnie. Although, Ember graduated from Ilvermorny a year ago, the redhead never lost contact with all her wizarding friends and even had her tag along quite a few times whenever she met up with them. Elena felt sorry for Trudy; she seemed to be living a comfortable life in her picturesque little house in the suburbs, but, Elena knew it was all a farce and that Trudy was living a life of loneliness.

As if reading her thoughts, Trudy adopted a bitter smile and shook her head, "We kept in touch for a while, but, well, you know… people drift apart. I do know she was in Florida for a while. She was on her own and I know it wasn't easy," she shrugged. There was silence for a moment that was only broken by the whistling of the tea from the kitchen, "Let me go get that."

While waiting, Elena busied herself by perusing through the yearbook closest to her and a smile automatically brightened her face when she met the teenage eyes of her birth mother, her index finger softly stroking the contours of her face and the outline of her cheerleading uniform. Elena could see a slight resemblance between them, and she wondered what features she inherited from her biological father. Ember would get a real kick out of the fact that her birth mom _and_ her adopted mom were both cheerleaders during their high school days, which would no doubt end with her smugly exclaiming 'I told you so' in regards to her moment of doubt in quitting the team at the beginning of the school year.

"Ah. They came to the games for us," Trudy announced as she walked in holding a tray with a pot and two teacups, her head inclined at the picture. "The football team hadn't won in years. We were the stars, well… Izzie was. But I was a _damn_ _good_ backup," she giggled, all tenseness diminishing from her visage, replaced by a dazed look as she relived her cheerleading days. Elena didn't want to interrupt what looked to be a fond memory, but her darned insatiable curiosity reared its ugly head, "Do you have any idea who my father is?" and her heart dropped at the pitying look she was suddenly on the receiving end of.

"I'm sorry. I could never get her to fess up," Trudy pursed her lips, her eyes subtly traveling to Elena's untouched tea, "Anyway; she finally pulled it together, got into college on a scholarship."

Elena perked up at the mention of college; since the age of eight, her and Ember planned on following their father's footsteps by attending Whitmore, but their backup plan was either Tulane University in New Orleans due to its reputation in medicine, or Harvard – depending on which college they both got accepted into. "Where did she go?" she inquired in interest.

"Somewhere in North Carolina. Duke, I think," Trudy shrugged, absentmindedly flipping through the pages of the yearbook, "Smart girl, smart school." Huh, Duke was never in the cards for the Gilbert twins; it wasn't even on their radar for future colleges. This time, when Trudy nervously glanced at her untouched tea, Elena noticed, prompting a perplexed frown on her face. "You haven't touched your tea," she stated, an undercurrent meaning in her tone. Furrowing her brow at Trudy's peculiar behavior, Elena took a cautious sip, ignoring Ember's disembodied voice warning her that her drink may be laced or tampered with. If Ember was here, she'd probably wave her wand over the tea and detect for any poisonous or detrimental ingredients, but she had always been paranoid over practically _everything_ , not that she blamed her.

It wasn't hard for the brunette to distinguish the odd blend in her tea, especially once Trudy breathed a perceptible sigh of relief when she successfully swallowed the lukewarm liquid. Elena delicately placed the tea cup onto the table, "You know, I'm already on vervain. I never leave the house without the herb on me." Trudy blanched and her hands started to tremble, "Your nervous behavior makes sense now. You didn't invite me in… that obviously should have been proof enough that I'm _not_ a vampire-"

"Get out!" Trudy snapped in a shrilly nuance, one trembling finger pointing at the door. But Elena indignantly held her ground, "What aren't you telling me?" Trudy grabbed her wrist in response and forcefully dragged her to the door, "I'm sorry, but you need to leave. _Now_!"

* * *

Loud panting echoed in Damon's bedroom. His body was flush against her naked form and her eyes clenched shut when she felt Damon harden, ready for another round. His lips attacked her jawline and his hands caressed her nether regions, but Ember put her foot down and it took all the strength she could muster to push him off of her and reach out for her purse.

"Little Red. What's wrong?" Damon was staring at her oddly, almost as though she were a weird insect he wanted to dissect. Holding a finger up, Ember grabbed a pain relief potion and downed it whole, "Damon, I can- I can't anymore. Enough is enough. I may be a wildcat in bed, and heck I _lurrve_ having sex, but Jesus Christ, I'm not a vampire. I don't have supernatural strength or speed or _stamina_ like you do! I'm sore all over and bruised and my vagina is throbbing in pain! I'm exhausted and I just returned from rigorous training and, and-" She was full on sobbing now, hysterically so into the palms of her hands.

Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her and she was gently brought flush against Damon who was softly cooing at her and stroking her hair in a tender manner, "I'm sorry. I forgot myself, and it's not fair to you." Sniffling, Ember went to wipe away her traitorous tears, but Damon beat her to it, "It's not completely your fault. I should have said something from the beginning. You just looked so hurt and tormented; I wanted to make your pain go away."

Ember didn't know how it happened, but she ended up cocooned in Damon's surprisingly affectionate embrace in tranquil silence. The vampire was the first to break the silence, "You're not just some sex object to me, Ember. I actually… I'm beginning to care about you. Somehow, whenever you're around, I forget about Katherine and, I feel happy."

"Don't you dare go all romantic on me, Damon Salvatore," she teased. A mischievous glint passed through electric blue eyes and without warning, he pounced on her, tickling her toned stomach and producing loud, uncontrollable bell-like laughter that sounded like music to his ears. "Da-Da-Dam- _Damon_! St-Stop i-it," she managed to stammer in between laughter; he may have killed Elena's birth mother, but damn it, Ember liked the guy… and it wasn't like he knew Elena when he did it, so she couldn't blame him for his past actions, as fucked up as that may sound.

Damon expelled a genuine laugh and he turned around to face her, releasing her body and supporting his head on his hand, his uncanny vampire vision narrowing in on the strange scar on her neck he had been itching to interrogate her about. Stroking the peculiar lightning-bolt scar, he surrendered to his curiosity, "How did you get that?"

Ember stiffened completely, and she immediately regretted her damn instinctive reaction when Damon looked like he was about to apologize. "I've had it for as long as I can remember," she whispered sadly, the emotion tugging on Damon's heartstrings. "You obviously know I was adopted and that the Potters are my biological parents, but what you _don't know_ is how I ended up with the Gilberts," she licked her lips and turned to face Damon. "When I was fifteen months old, a dark wizard broke into my once upon a time house with the intention of killing me and my biological twin, Harold. You see, there was a war going on in Britain, a war led by a Dark Lord who fashioned himself the name Voldemort and he inspired fear in everyone. Him and his sadistic followers blatantly killed and tortured without mercy, their goal being to rid non-magicals and witches and wizards born of non-magical parents. Genocidal maniacs."

Damon's eyes darkened and his face contorted into rage and horror, but he smartly kept his mouth shut and allowed Ember to continue with her explanation. He knew a bit about the magical world, and while he was informed of the bigotry, this was the first time he was hearing about this Dark Dick.

"Anyway, a prophecy was made by a quack descendant of renowned seers, and in this prophecy, it foretold of a child born as the seventh month dies to parents who have thrice defied Voldy. That child would be the one to end Voldefart's evil reign and defeat him once and for all. You with me so far?" Damon nodded like an obedient child would to his professor. "Unfortunately, one of Voldefart's followers overheard half of the prophecy and rushed to inform his Lord," she scoffed in disgust, "There were three babies that fit the bill, and despite not hearing the full prophecy, Voldemort set out to murder them. So when I was fifteen months old, he broke into the cottage the Potters were hiding at and disarmed James and Lily, rendering them unconscious. He pointed his wand at Harold first, but apparently I used accidental magic in a burst of overprotectiveness and took the Killing Curse meant for him by transporting myself into his crib. The Killing Curse causes instant death, and nobody ever survived it, nobody but me. Somehow, the curse rebounded and impacted with Voldy, defeating him temporarily. He fled as a spirit and went into hiding, and this scar-" she stroked the lightning-bolt scar emblazoned on the crook between her neck and right shoulder, "-was permanently branded as a result."

Ember flipped over to lay on her stomach, her feet dangling in the air, "James, Lily and that old fossil, Dumbledore, they wrongly claimed Harold to be the child of the prophecy due to the fact that he had an identical scar on his forehead, but it was just the backlash of the Killing Curse. An hour later, they dumped me on the front steps of an orphanage that, by the way, has a _horrible_ reputation and they left. They just _left me_ , a fifteen-month-old baby who just went through a traumatizing event, out in the cold on Halloween, past midnight, when it was said to rain, with nothing but a thin blanket and my still bleeding scar. They didn't bother to leave behind a note with my name or birthdate, or even wait till morning to safely hand me over to somebody in charge. They didn't want me around while they gloat about their famous Boy-Who-Lived," she sneered, unaware that beside her, Damon was currently shaking with apoplectic rage. "Luck shone on me, and Fate led the Gilberts to me. My dad and uncle were in England for business and had stopped the car when they found an empty bundle by the steps. Uncle John heard me crying near a dumpster in an empty alley and the rest is history."

Damon tried to calm himself lest he blew up and ended up murdering his neighbors, "So, why are the Potters in Mystic Falls?"

A devious smirk crossed Ember's face as she began donning her clothes, "Hiding out. They lived in peace and reveled in fame for over thirteen years. They added a daughter to their family and fake mourned over poor Rose Potter who died that night." Damon gaped, recalling how enraged Ember got when Emily called her Rose, which now made perfect sense. "And then, Voldemort rose again. He abducted Harold during a magical tournament and had a black ritual done to give himself a corporeal form and he announced the truth to the world that _I_ was the one who defeated him and _not_ Harold. Since then, Magical Britain has been in uproar and the Potters and Dumbledore spent a year searching for me to convince me to fight their war after tossing me away. As if," she scoffed. She yelped suddenly when a fully dressed Damon grabbed her and crushed his lips with hers.

Stefan cleared his throat, succeeding in breaking them apart, his eyes dancing with amusement, "Damon, you got a minute?"

At that moment, her phone beeped with a text.

 **SOS. I'm home, where are you? – Elena.**

"I'm gonna bounce. Later boys," she chirped out.

Ignoring Violet Potter's desperate attempts to achieve eye-contact, Ember got into her car and sped home.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Just as I thought that things were finally simmering in Mystic Falls, chaos ensued._

 _The second I returned home from the Boarding House, Elena pounced and bombarded me with the details of her visit to Trudy Peterson, frantically exclaiming that she knew about vampires and had laced her tea with vervain. But what worried me the most, was that strange man who stood at the end of the lane, creepily watching Elena as she drove away._

 _Naturally, I chastised Elena for not summoning me with the protean bracelet I made her. Ending my lecture, I grabbed her for side-along apparition and appeared behind a tree in front of Trudy's house in Grove Hill. After five minutes of ringing her doorbell and incessantly knocking on the front door, we discovered that it had been unlocked the whole time, putting my senses on high alert._

 _Trudy was dead. Her body laid in front of the staircase in a weird angle and while it looked like she accidentally took a tumble down the stairs, it was obvious to me and Elena, by the telltale expression of fear frozen on her dead face, that she was chased and_ _ **pushed**_ _down the stairs. Something told me that the creepy man was responsible. I was so close to losing Elena, or maybe I am over exaggerating and the man's only target was Trudy. But my instincts never failed me before and they were currently screaming at me that the man was sent by someone to silence Trudy for good since she obviously knew something._

 _Jenna, Jeremy and Elena decided to attend the bachelor auction at the Grill – Jenna aiming to win Alaric. And while Damon tried cajoling me into attending so that I can win him, I decided to stay at home and relax. I mean come on, can you blame me? I've been awake since seven a.m. – sex with Damon was exhausting enough, and auror training was harsh – my body is still sore due to the litany of stinging hexes inflicted upon me; Carac's spells pack a punch! – and instead of relaxing, I entered round two with Damon immediately afterwards._

 _No – I decided to stay ensconced in my room and laze about in bed._

 _But I did end up calling Caroline back. The usually hyper and cheerful blonde was in a tizzy over Kelly Donovan's abrupt arrival into town. The skank – she may have been mom's best friend during high school_ _ **and**_ _Mattie's mom, but I've never liked the bitch! Never have and never will – wasted no time in tearing Caroline down and insulting her, all the while adding a snarky comment to Matt:_ _ **I see blonde is the new flavor**_ _. Like she's one to talk! Just because she has some sort of childish rivalry with Aunt Liz that she refuses to get over, doesn't mean she should take her grudge out on Care-Bear._

 _I nearly ended up storming into the Grill to browbeat Kelly, but my aching muscles complained when I went to stand._

 _Well, that's all for now; Damon promised to investigate on the mysterious 'animal attack' Caroline mentioned this morning. So I am signing out!_

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

No longer had Ember snapped her diary shut and tucked it away into her pillowcase, did the familiar ghostly voice speak up from behind her, making her jump into the air – _literally_ – and clutch her chest in fear.

"Qetsiyah! _Don't_ _do_ _that_. You scared the bejesus out of me!"

Qetsiyah ducked her head in apology and quickly settled herself on the bed beside her, her beautiful features adopting worry lines, "I apologize for startling you, Ember. But things are awry in Mystic Falls. I am here to warn you."

Ember scowled at the powerful progenitor of the Bennett line and placed both hands on her hips, "Oh come on, Tess! Stop with all the annoying riddles. You're on the Other Side watching everything happen. Why don't you just cut to the chase." The redhead would be lying if she didn't feel slightly intimidated at the harsh glare she was currently on the receiving end of.

" _Ember Miranda Gilbert_! Yes, you are my Champion, and _yes_ , I see all that occurs, but that does not mean I can just _tell you!_ " Qetsiyah adopted a more soft approach, her hazel-green eyes softening at Ember's chastised expression, "It may seem easier, but there are no shortcuts in life, Ember. _Remember_ _that_! There may be times that I shall forewarn you of events that had yet to occur, or lend you aid, or spare you a few hints, but in order to be the best that you can be, in order for you to achieve greatness, to learn, and to evolve and prepare yourself for the future and all the hardships in store, you must solve matters on your own. I will not lie to you, a few precious souls may die along the way or get hurt in the process, and no matter how much I desire to inform you of everything, even I answer to somebody of greater power, and I have been ordered to let you face incidents alone."

Ember rooted through her mindscape for a moment before comprehension settled in, "Death. It's Death, isn't it? You answer to him."

"Don't we all," Qetsiyah looked proud at her astute deciphering and had returned to her kind nature now that Ember understood. "Now, before I got sidetracked, I am here to warn you that you were tricked and that the tomb vampires still live."

"WHAT?!" Ember shrieked, all weariness dissipating. "How-, Anna? That little bitch has a witch on her side. Damn! I should have burned them with Fiendfyre instead of normal fire," she cussed, inwardly berating herself. Ember made it a point to avoid casting Fiendfyre due to its difficulty to control and the magical exhaustion that occurred afterward. When there was no sound reply, Ember wildly looked around and aggressively rolled her eyes. "Great! It's rude to leave without saying goodbye, ya know!" she grumbled at the ceiling.

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Elena stood by her doorway looking worse for wear. Disregarding her question, Ember softly embraced her and gave her a concerned look, silently asking what was wrong.

The twins cuddled on the bed together; Elena rested her head in the crook of Ember's neck and poured her heart out, "Damon baited Mr. Saltzman. When Mrs. Lockwood asked Damon if he liked to travel, he started taunting that he once visited Duke where he met Isobel and that she tasted ' _delicious_ '."

Ember was fuming; she may be on good terms with Damon and they may be friends with benefits, but that didn't mean she would easily dismiss his appalling behavior especially when concerning her twin. "I'm sorry, Laney. I just found out this morning, and Jenna and Stefan decided I would be the best one to break the news, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt you."

"It's okay, well, actually, I mean, no, it's _not_ okay, but also, it's sort of okay. Ugh! I'm not making any sense," Elena disentangled her limbs from the redhead and whipped out a phone from her jeans pocket. "The guy that killed Trudy, he, he was waiting for me at the backdoor of the Grill. _Relax_ , I was with Stefan," she quickly placated Ember before she could blow her fuse and go into mother-henning mode, "He was compelled, Em. All his actions, everything he did, he was acting out on compulsion. Here, use Legilimency on me and see for yourself."

Absolute trust; Ember and Elena had a relationship of absolute trust. It was unheard of in the wizarding communities to freely grant somebody permission to intrude another's mind. Unlike Britain, in the United States, if somebody used Legilimency without the other's express permission, they would immediately be handed a prison sentence for a couple of months, depending on how serious the crime was. Mind rape was a serious offense in the American wizarding community, which was the sole reason why all witches and wizards were obligated to begin Occlumency lessons by the age of twelve. One must have a license for Legilimency, and only important MACUSA Officials and Aurors had a free pass along with a license. Naturally, the lines blur when used on No-Majs, but all witches and wizards had been drilled from a young age about the gravity of mind arts and its proper usage and all magical schools in America taught the compulsory subject.

Unlike with Noah the stalker vampire, Ember gently perused through Elena's mind, carefully ignoring all her private thoughts and focusing on the incident that happened a while ago. She shrewdly scrutinized the compelled man as he parted Elena with a message to ' _stop_ _looking'_. Things took an interesting turn when he stressed that _she_ doesn't want to know Elena or talk to her and it was only once Stefan urged her to agree, did the man's posture go lax and he offed himself by allowing a truck to barrel right into him.

"Holy fuck. You think, do you think Isobel's alive?" Ember gasped, her eyes widening in pure shock. Elena dangled the phone in front of her face, "There's only one way to find out. I'm gonna call the last number dialed."

Ember scrunched her nose in distaste as she watched Elena punch in the contact and put the call on loudspeaker, "While I applaud your quick thinking, I still think it's disgusting that you grabbed the phone out of the dead guy's body." Elena mock glared at her just as a honeyed voice rang out sounding brusque and cold, "Was there a problem? Did you find her? What's going on?"

Elena sucked in a sharp intake of breath, and her voice quivered slightly, "Isobel?" She stared tearfully at an incensed Ember as Isobel, or whoever was on the other end, hung up without another word.

"Screw her, Laney," Ember crushed her in a tight embrace, "You don't need her in your life."

* * *

For the second time that day, Stefan called with urgent news, and for the second time that day, Ember found herself taking Elena with her for side-along apparition. Not wanting to risk running into the Potters or the Blacks, Ember transported them right into the Boarding House's foyer, and the twins darted over to Stefan's side.

"Oh my god!" Elena felt numb at the sight of Alaric Saltzman's dead body on the Persian rug. Ember ignored the couple bowing over the dead history teacher as she felt eyes burning into her from atop the staircase. Emeralds and electric blues collided, but Ember didn't have it in her to be angry, instead, she stared at Damon with utmost disappointment, and if you asked the vampire, he would have preferred to be on the receiving end of her ire instead of defeat; he didn't want Ember to give up on him.

Once Damon vanished from her line of vision, Ember sullenly approached them, "Remind me again, what happened?" She felt an alien magic tingling her skin and saturating the air, and it made her uneasy.

"According to Damon, Alaric barged into the house with a stake and lunged at him. Damon defended himself, ergo, Alaric ended up dead," Stefan explained in a dull monotone. Elena clucked her tongue in disapproval not knowing how she should truly feel about her step-father being dead, when Ember's strange actions startled her, "Uh, Em? Whatcha doing, hun?"

Stefan and Elena were both staring at her oddly as Ember's head whipped around wildly in every direction in search of something in particular. Ember huffed in irritation, "I can sense something. It's like some sort of magic, but it's not natural, it's eerie, it's-" Ember halted her insane ramblings, her mouth agape as she focused on Alaric.

"It's…?" Elena probed in concern. But Ember batted a hand in the air, "His finger just twitched!" she exclaimed. When the twosome stared blankly at her, she scowled, "I _swear_ I'm _not_ imagining things! _Look_! It twitched again!"

On cue, Alaric's eyes abruptly snapped open like they usually did in scary movies, and he shot up into a sitting position, prompting an alarmed squeak from Elena, ensued by a spluttering Stefan.

"What happened? What's going on?" Alaric inquired, his hazel eyes traveling from Stefan, to Elena and lastly, to Ember. Ember was the first to find her voice, "Oh nothing. Except for the fact that you were dead not even ten seconds ago and you just miraculously sprung back to life. Other than that, nothing much." The sarcasm was heavy in her voice, and all Elena could do, was nod in agreement while her mouth still hung open in unadulterated shock.

Finally recovering from his own shock, Stefan started inspecting Alaric's eyes like he did with Vicki months ago, "Did Damon turn you?"

"No," Alaric frowned, patting his abdomen as though he were making sure that he was actually alive and solid, "I-I went for him and then he, uh-, he stabbed me."

Stefan didn't look convinced, "No, no, no. you must have vampire blood in your system. Somebody slipped it to you."

Ember inwardly scoffed; it wouldn't be the first time somebody did that… reference Logan Fell.

Alaric flexed his fingers, "No, it's uh, it's something else." Ember's gaze narrowed on the chunky ring on his hand, and she shuddered, finally having an inkling to the source of that alien magic that made her uncomfortable.

"Where did you get that?" Elena inquired. Alaric looked up at her and uttered one word that had her flinch, "Isobel"

Ember didn't notice her body subconsciously edge away from Alaric, all she knew was that the ring gave her a bad vibe, or to quote Caroline Forbes: _the heebie-jeebies_. That ring was bad, bad, _bad_ news – the magic imbued into it may have saved Alaric's life, but if life taught Ember anything, it was to trust her instincts, and most importantly, to trust her magic, and right now, her magic was seriously running rampant.

 _What the hell?_

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Reina Bane – Barbara Palvin**_

 _ **Alaric Saltzman – Matthew Davis**_

 _ **Qetsiyah – Zoe Saldana**_

 _ **Brianna Carac – Wanda Sykes**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **I am so sorry for the delay in posting up this chapter, but I hope you liked it?! XD**

 **(1)I would like to start off by explaining a few things about my OCs. Reina Bane will either be a recurring minor character, or a recurring major character, it all depends on how the story goes. Now, Brianna Carac on the other hand, some of you may have noticed that she was mentioned before in a short scene… I add OCs to build up my plot and to stir interests. I mean, Ember has a life outside of Mystic Falls, and if I am to keep TVD universe the same as canon, well, to be frank, I'm trying to make this story different, and I mean (please mind my rambling), is it just me, or is anyone else annoyed beyond belief over the fact that every new character introduced into TVD dies?! I mean, other than Enzo and Valerie, they axed everyone off… even in The Originals, for crying out loud. (2) My story will have a lot of OCs, but some of them will just be very minor or to build a plot, or just background characters that have no importance or leads to something important later on. (3) I showed the Elena scene with Trudy because I am slowly portraying how different she is from canon with Ember as a twin. (4) Ember/Damon, I am building them up for something (wink, wink), but rest assured to some of my dear readers, they are not the endgame. I repeat, NOT the endgame! No, Ember will be paired off with someone else. Don't badger me, I ain't telling. It's a surprise. LOL (5) Okay, now some might be angry, sad, annoyed, whatever, over the fact that I showed no Bonnie, Caroline and Jeremy in this chapter, nor did I show the Potters, Blacks, and Weasleys. I am sorry, but I just couldn't fit them in, but next chapter for sure! (6) Also, I didn't bother adding in the Mystic Grill scene. I am trying to deviate from canon, and I don't want to copy paste every scene that happened in the show in this story. I am trying to add my own plot, so yeah… sorry if anyone was bugged by that. (7) Does anyone have any idea as to why Ember reacted badly to the Gilbert ring? The answer will be answered later on as the plot thickens. (8) To end my blabbering (** _ **sorry!**_ **) next chapter will have some action. Now that Ember knows Anna tricked her, there will be a HUGE conflict, and we will be introduced to the tomb vampires. ;) I cannot wait! XD**

 **I hope this chapter was to your liking and you weren't bothered by my after-chapter rant! :)**

 **R &R.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 17:**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I feel as though my life, currently, is just… so surreal._

 _While I'm a trainee auror, learning to kick ass and battle evil, or well, protect and serve the people of America and maintain the law, I'm also a seventeen-year-old girl, a teenager attending high school in a picturesque town, crawling with vampires._

 _Surreal? I think_ _ **yes**_ _._

 _I mean, here I am, sitting in my bedroom, writing in my diary before I head off to school and I've got a chemistry and algebra quiz that I barely had time to study for due to all the things that go bump in the night. I'm captain of the cheerleading squad and therefore responsible for fifteen girls, and after school, I have to assemble my girls for cheer practice. It seems so… idyllic to those observers from the other side, but to me? It's just so damn unreal._

 _Unlike Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie, most of the syllabus at Mystic Falls High was already covered at Ilvermorny, so compared to my twin and best friends, I got the better end of the stick, but still, it doesn't change the fact that in order to graduate Junior year and become a Senior; in order to get accepted to Whitmore or Tulane or Harvard, I need good grades and_ _ **not**_ _many unexplained absences and skipped quizzes._

 _I'm supposed to balance high school and cheerleading and my normal human life. I'm supposed to balance my witch duties, and my magical studies, and my auror training. I'm supposed to balance my new title as Qetsiyah's Champion, protect Mystic Falls from the tomb vampires and Anna, while keeping my family and friends safe._ _ **I'm just one person**_ _! I have so many different duties to juggle and I'm terrified that I will finally crack and lose my sanity._

 _I wish mom and dad were here. They would know what to do. They'd give me the perfect advise, and while I know Elena, Jenna and Jeremy would without a doubt, catch me when I fall, I'm terrified that if heaven forbids, something happens to me and I'm permanently or even temporarily out of the picture… I'm terrified that my family would end up unprotected._

 _I can take a hint… I know that danger lies ahead. Qetsiyah hinted it more than once. I pray that we will end up on the other side as victors, but… with Voldefart and his Death Munchers hunting me down, I fear my time is running out, and I am starting to doubt my survival rate._

 _Anyways, enough doom and gloom. I gotta bounce Dear Diary. I need to emulate a perfect human teenager and ace that damn chemistry and algebra quiz, not to forget act all peppy for my squad._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

The house, in a bizarre change from the norm, was eerily quiet once Ember left her room and descended the staircase. She entered the kitchen and poured warm coffee from the carafe that Jenna probably left behind before heading off to campus, into her favorite ceramic mug with the words 'I'm sorry for what I said before I had my COFFEE' embossed on the front. There was still an hour to go before first period, so Ember decided to enjoy the fresh January breeze by the porch while enjoying her wonderful caffeine. Scrolling through her phone, Ember noticed she had a message from Elena stating that she left early to grab breakfast with Stefan before school.

Exhaling from her nostrils, the redhead tossed her phone into her purse and cradled the ceramic mug with both hands before elevating it to her lips and imbibing the heavenly liquid. Coffee had always been Ember's major Achilles Heel, and it had always been a running joke around Mystic Falls that due to the amount of coffee she consumed on a _daily basis_ , her blood was probably a murky brown color instead of the natural crimson red.

"Ember, hi!"

The redhead arched an eyebrow in an attempt to conceal her surprise. When it came to the Black Family, her alleged godfather mostly tried chasing her around in the hopes of achieving any sort of conversation. His wife Marlene understood the concept of boundaries and kept her distance except for the occasional polite greetings whenever they crossed paths or perchance a diminutive nod of acknowledgement from afar. However, Cassiopeia – _just Cassie!_ and her brother Leo, never once bothered to try and instigate any sort of conversation with her, unlike the Potters, the Weasleys and that eyesore bushy-haired-beaver. But here they stood; Leo nervously shuffled his feet, his silver orbs trained on the ground while Cassie's azure eyes bravely met her emeralds head-on.

"What can I do for you guys?" Ember directed her words to both of them, containing her curiosity. Cassie let out a nervous chuckle and proceeded to scratch the nape of her neck, and when she spoke, her accent came out more pronounced due to high nerves, "This is so mortifying but, our parents aren't home at the moment, and the blasted car isn't turning on. Leo and I are absolutely oblivious when it comes to muggle procedures so… uh, basically, do you mind if we hitch a ride with you to the school?" she abruptly snapped her mouth shut and bit her lower lip, the silence suddenly seeming strained.

Ember couldn't help but fidget uncomfortably over the fact that a girl her age and her younger brother – who if she was raised by the Potters, would have been family to her – feared her. Draining the last drop of coffee, the redhead wandlessly banished the mug into the kitchen sink and inclined her head toward her silver Mercedes, "Well, hop in. I don't bite." Cassie's eyes widened in surprise, not having expected any sort of kindness from the caustic redhead and Leo beamed brightly.

"Oh, ah thank you…" Cassie drew her gratitude out. Ember shrugged and sped down the lane, never once taking her eyes off the road, "I'm not that much of a bitch to allow you guys to hike a thirty minute walk to the school, ya know."

The second Ember parked her car, Leo yelled out a quick thank you before running out the car to meet his friends. Cassie, however, took her sweet time, and just as Ember turned to meet her friends and Elena, all of whom were gaping at her in shock from the courtyard, the dirty-blonde cleared her throat, azure eyes burning into her emeralds, "Look, Ember, I don't want any trouble, I just… I want you to know that my parents were in France on a mission for the Order when Voldemort attacked on Halloween."

Her entire posture stiffened, but other than that, Ember quirked an eyebrow and stared at Cassie apathetically, "Your point?"

Drawing in a deep breath, Cassie took a minuscule step forward, her eyes intense. " _My point_ is that my parents weren't a part of the plan to give you away. They returned two weeks later to find you gone and they were heartbroken. It took them two years to forgive Aunt Lily and Uncle James, and even then, their friendship never returned as before. My parents are your godparents, and they spent ages searching for you, but you disappeared without a trace, Ember. I'm not asking for some tearful reunion or anything," Cassie quickly reassured her when Ember opened her mouth to, most probably spew out some acidic remark, "I'm just, I'm asking that you take it easy on my parents. They mourned you for sixteen years, and they love you. You're my god-sister, and it might not mean anything to you, but it does to me. My family, we, we didn't force you to talk to us because we don't want to add more to your animosity. Just, please… don't disregard my words, and if you're still unable to accept us, then… at least _stop_ being a bitch to my parents, because you're hurting them for no reason."

And with that, Cassie shot her a half-smile and walked away, leaving Ember gaping at her retreating back, rendered completely speechless.

* * *

Damon was nervous. For the first time in 145 years, he was about to take the leap and do something for himself. No more obsessing over Katherine, and no more obsessing over rescuing her, but most of all, Damon Salvatore was finally ready to move on from his unhealthy addiction: Katherine Pierce. Early morning, he had texted Ember to stop by, and she replied with an affirmative, stating that after cheerleading practice she'll head on over, and for the entirety of the morning, Damon's thoughts revolved around Ember showing up in her skimpy, sexy cheer uniform.

Checking the time, Damon estimated Ember would be showing up any minute, unfortunately, he sensed there to be two unwelcome presences in his house, and vamp-speeding to the sitting room, he gritted his teeth at the two vampires who had the audacity to stand and stare at him as though they had every right to. Swaggering toward the bar, Damon was the embodiment of arrogance as he plastered a fake smile at them while pouring himself a glass of bourbon, "Ever heard of knocking?"

"An invitation wasn't necessary," Pearl smirked, looking the perfect picture of ease. "I'm surprised that no living person resides here. Is it just you and your brother?" her rhetoric question was followed by Anna's loud guffaw, a deviant smirk materializing on her eternally fifteen-year-old features as she loudly gloated, "Yeah. How do you keep out unwelcome vampires?"

"I kill them," was his simple retort before he dropped his drink and ran toward Pearl with lightning speed. In retrospect, Damon allowed his hubris to take over any rational thoughts; as Pearl deftly twisted his wrist and pushed him onto the floor with a light shove, Damon should have known that he was no match against two six-hundred-year-old vampires, and he was sadly outnumbered. "Have a seat, Damon. I was hoping we could have a word," Pearl insisted, her words sounding calm yet menacing, and frankly, the hotheaded Salvatore's nerves hit the roof.

For the next five minutes, Damon plastered a fake, polite smile on his visage as he listened to Pearl blather on and on about the tomb vampires taking residence in a farmhouse just outside of town. It took all the control he could muster to act oblivious, for he already knew the tomb vamps were running amok around town due to Ember's mysterious source. However, Damon's brain to mouth filter ran wild once Pearl relayed her plan of killing off the council members and taking back 'their' town.

"Are you crazy?" Damon seethed, no longer playing the act of the perfect host as he loomed over Pearl and Anna, "It was _1864_. Wake up woman! The world has _moved_ _on_ ," he drew out. His love for Katherine was tested when Pearl promised him the reward for his help to be Katherine's location, and to his joy, Damon didn't even feel a twinge of hope. It was made painfully clear to him that Katherine didn't give two shits about him, and he felt the same sentiments were _finally_ reciprocated on his behalf. Damon let out a scornful laugh, his lips twisting in malice as he glared at the stoic vampire, "You've been under the ground for the last century and a half, but I'll bite. You know where Katherine is? Well, tough. I no longer have any desire to see Katherine _ever again_ , you can thank your daughter for that, after all," and here he sneered at a wide-eyed Anna, "You were the one to inform me of the ugly truth, _remember_?" Turning back to face a frothing Pearl, he landed the final blow, "And there's _no way in hell_ I'm gonna play the role of your little minion."

Unknown to Damon, a distinctive redhead overheard the last part of his speech, and a brilliant smile etched onto her radiant features. However, Pearl did not share the same sentiments; letting out an irate growl, she lunged at Damon and hurled him over the couch, her thumbs prepared to gouge out his eyes, "I'm not _asking_ for your help, Damon. Finding Katherine was just a mere gesture of kindness. The rest is non-negotiable." Her thumbs were a hairsbreadth away from plunging into his eyes when the next thing the three vampires knew, both hands were amputated in the blink of an eye. The two severed hands landed on a bewildered Damon's chest and blood gushed out in torrents from a screaming Pearl's wrists.

"Sorry I'm late. Didn't know that there was going to be a party, otherwise I would have been here sooner," Ember darkly announced as she sauntered over to Damon's side, lazily twirling her wand in her right hand. She offered her other hand to Damon, who gladly took it and pushed up onto his feet, watching in morbid fascination as Pearl's severed hands innocently dropped onto the carpet by his feet. Anna was torn between whisking her mother away, or attacking the redhead she feared most of all, however, the decision was made for her when she found a stick pointing at her chest. "Pearl. We briefly met. I gotta say, you look way better. I'd apologize about amputating such important limbs from your body, but to be honest, I'm not… _sorry that is_ ," she venomously spat out.

Blood stopped gushing as they started to clot, and her wrists knotted themselves to cover the gaping holes where Pearl's hands should have been. Ember cocked her head to the side, "Huh. Silly me. And here I thought vampires could magically regrow a missing limb. I mean, I once extracted Damon's kidneys and two days later, they grew back. How fascinating." Damon chuckled loudly at that, one hand snaking around her waist in a protective manner.

"You psychotic bitch!" Anna screamed, nervously eyeing the wand aimed at her heart as she kept her arms around her anguished mother, "Give her back her hands or I swear you'll regret it!"

Emeralds darkened in an instant and Ember flicked her wand again, causing a large gash to appear on Pearl's chest and therefore producing more pained screams. Two seconds later, Pearl's vampire healing kicked in and the gash closed, though her clothes were torn and bloodied. "Here's the thing, Anna-Banana," Ember mocked her, fingering her wand almost lovingly, "We had a deal, and you _broke it_! You could have lived the perfect life with your mother, but you got greedy. You threatened a witch into your service and foiled my plans and now, there are 25 vampires running rampage in MY town! So you see, you have no right to demand _anything_ from me. We could have been allies, maybe even friends, hell, I might have helped you with your obsessive crush on my little brother."

" _What_?" Pearl hissed, whipping around to glare at her dumbstruck daughter, forgetting about her lack of limbs at the declared confession. Before Anna could stammer out some poor excuse, Ember responded with much relish, "Oh, you didn't know that little Annie has a taste for Gilbert boys? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, don't ya think, Pearl?" she slyly smirked. Pearl let out an ungodly roar of pure rage, the whites of her eyes turned red and her fangs protruded as she went to pounce on Ember, but Damon easily grabbed her, giving Ember the opportunity to bind her in chains.

"Please, stop, STOP! We'll, we'll go," Anna sobbed out, trying to spare her mother's life. Ember tutted cruelly, "Too bad, Anna, you lost my trust! Here's the thing, I'll magically reattach your mother's hands when those 25 vampires are dead. I want to see their desiccated forms right in front of me, and _I_ will personally burn their dead corpse to the ground. Only then, will I spare your dishonest lives and return what I took," Ember uttered in solemnity. "And this time, I'll have a Bennett witch by my side to make sure there are no protective spells on them before they burn. Now leave! The sight of you two sickens me," she sneered.

The second the door slammed shut behind them, Ember let out a loud sigh of relief. Damon couldn't help but stare at her as though she were some goddess and his hands tenderly cupped her face, "You're amazing, do you know that? Just, _wow_."

"Stop it. You're making me blush," Ember teased him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Damon smirked and it melted into a genuine, breathtaking smile, "So, I've been wondering… how'd you like to grab some dinner. My treat," he tempted. Ember shook her head and seductively drawled out, "Damon Salvatore, are you asking me out on a date."

"Yes," he replied with utmost sincerity, prompting Ember's jaw to drop open in shock.

"You're serious?" Ember blurted out, "Damon, you've spent 145 years devoted to Katherine. My twin is her doppelgänger… it's kind of intimidating-" Damon pressed a hand over her mouth in an attempt to halt her words, and he stared down at her with intense electric blues, "Ember, I don't _care_ about Katherine. It's only you. You're constantly on my mind, and I don't want anyone _but_ you. Say yes. Give me a shot. Come on," he smirked. Classical Damon, hiding his true feelings behind a cocksure mask.

There was a beat of silence before Ember finally nodded her head, "Okay. …You know, I don't believe any girl has ever been asked out on a date, in the entire history, over two amputated hands. You're quite the romantic, Damon. Ten points for creativity." And while sarcasm rolled off her tongue, she looked greatly amused. Damon burst out into genuine laughter before planting a passionate kiss on her lips, eyes sparkling in adoration, "You're some freakishly powerful witch who belongs to a hidden magical community and you just accepted to go out on a date with a vampire. Nothing about us defines normalcy, Ember."

"Touché," Ember smirked.

* * *

Curled on the sofa with a bucket of rocky road ice-cream and enjoying the delectable velvety swirls of marshmallows – _her favorite part_!, a pair of emeralds never once detached from the screen, hungrily drinking in the embodiment of sex appeal which was Hugh Jackman. Ember was completely lost to the real world as she was too absorbed in Wolverine, AKA Logan's sexy voice that never failed to elicit wonderful shivers down her spine, that she didn't notice she was no longer alone in the house, until the familiar form of her twin blocked the TV screen with her hands firmly placed on her hips, an amused expression on her face.

"Elen _aaaaaa_!" Ember whined, craning her head to get a better look at the screen. That was, until Jenna grabbed the remote control from beside her and turned the television off. " _Hey_!" Ember whipped around to half-pout, half-glare at her aunt, "I was _watching_ that! And it was the best part! Hugh Jackman was just about to remove his shirt and show off his delectably chiseled six-pack! I hate you guys!" she grumbled, scooping out a huge chuck of Rocky Road and shoving it into her mouth. Jeremy groaned as he ambled into the room and sprawled onto the sofa opposite to her, "I _really_ did not need to hear that, Em!"

Jenna fondly rolled her eyes at Ember's antics and perched herself on the arm of Jeremy's sofa while Elena giggled and squeezed herself into the one-seater sofa to be closer to her twin. "Em, your obsession with Hugh Jackman has _got to stop_. I mean, you've already watched X2, X-Men: The Last Stand _AND_ X-Men Origins: Wolverine, over _a hundred times_!" Elena sternly rebuked her, though her eyes swam with contained mirth before she snatched the bucket from Ember's hands, along with the spoon and dug in with gusto, ignoring the stink-eye she was currently on the receiving end of from her pouting and disgruntled twin.

"Like you're one to talk, _Mrs_. Orlando Bloom!" Ember retorted with her own little smirk, "I've lost count of how many times I've been forced to watch the three series of Pirates of the Caribbean on replay, not to forget you _fawning_ over Legolas!" Elena got a dreamy look and her eyes zeroed in on the cabinet where The Lord of the Rings Trilogy _and_ The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy were stowed, and Ember just _knew_ she was itching to insert the DVD into the player. However, when Jenna chuckled at the twins' antics, Elena snapped back to the present and rolled her eyes, "Don't even start Aunt Jenna! We all know about your fixation to the Oceans Trilogy, or to be exact _George Clooney_ ," she teased.

Jeremy groaned aloud once again and buried his face into the nearest pillow. Ember harrumphed and nodded self-righteously, "Exactement! So, if you'll excuse me, I've got a date with Hugh to get back to-"

" _Speaking of dates_ ," Elena piped up, snatching the remote control from Ember, _again_! "My double date with Stefan, Care and Matt went well, thank you for asking," the sarcasm was palpable, but she managed to grab Ember's attention, "That was of course, until one creepy-looking dude stood in my way when I was returning from the bathroom with Care, grabbed my wrist and called me ' _Katherine_ '!"

Okay, _now_ Elena _definitely_ captured Ember's undivided attention, and she wasted no time in aggressively hissing out, "And you're telling me about this now?! Those should have been the first words to have escaped your mouth when you walked in here!" Her emerald gaze narrowed in suspicion upon taking notice of the _too innocent_ expressions draping Jenna and Jeremy's features, and she straightened her sitting position on the sofa as much as she could with Elena's body squished next to hers, barely allowing her any room for some breathing space, "What else am I missing here?"

"Same creepy vampire approached me when I was leaving the Grill after having a few drinks with Kelly Donovan. He was subtle with his compulsion, I'll give him points for that," Jenna acknowledged with a nod and a swift roll of her eyes, "But after he noticed I was on vervain, he didn't stop me from getting Jeremy and jumping into my car." She then nudged Jeremy to say his part, which he did, hesitantly, since he knew Ember would blow her lid off, "Anna spent the night stalking me at the Grill. She kept trying to flirt with me and become friends, but I could tell she was off… like she was infuriated or something. If Stefan wasn't at the Grill, she would have been more aggressive in whatever plot she had in mind."

Ember stared agape at her family, rendered speechless and unable to form an eloquent sentence. Not counting Uncle John since he was currently safe in his townhouse at New York – every member of her family had been confronted by volatile vampires with a vendetta, and she could have lost them in one fell swoop, a thought that had her heart clenching in anguish. Yeah, they each had a protean bracelet, but she never thought of such a scenario where they would be divided and conquered; three separate attacks – one person! She couldn't split herself up into three and rescue her family, if god forbid anything happened to them, in three different locations and at the same time, and Ember felt herself crippled with fear.

Elena could practically taste her twin's fear. Embracing her in a tight hug, she changed the subject, "How was your night? I haven't seen you since cheer practice. Don't tell me you've been watching X-Men _all_ day?"

"Nah," Ember's cheeks tinged a curious shade of red. "Uh, I stopped by Damon's after school and had a slight confrontation with Pearl and Anna. After that, Damon asked me out on a date and we-" Ember rolled her eyes as Elena pertly perked up and let out a tiny squeal whilst Jenna and Jeremy traded knowing looks, "- _we_ had dinner. He dropped me off early like a perfect gentleman, and I spent the rest of the night watching TV. No biggie," she shrugged to emphasize her nonchalance. But Elena wasn't buying it, "No biggie? _No_. _Biggie_?! Damon Salvatore, lovestruck vampire for 145 years now, finally plucked up the courage to ask you out, and you say 'no biggie'?!" she air quoted.

"Ah-ah-ah! No-no-no-no!" Jeremy reminded them of his presence, flailing his arms in the air, "Brother in the room! I don't want to hear about this, thank you very much! It's gross!" Jenna patted his head and winked at the twins, "Jer is right. We'll talk about it later. Maybe go out for coffee tomorrow morning since it's a Saturda _AAAHH_!" Jenna jumped onto her feet, and scooted away from Jeremy as two disembodied hands that looked distinctly feminine, emerged out of nowhere and started running on its fingertips like a spider – one hand climbed onto Jeremy's lap, while the other tapped four of its fingers from beside Ember, who was desperately trying to stifle her laughter as Elena and Jeremy joined Jenna, backing away from the living room with wide eyes.

"What-what-wh-what. _WHAT THE HELL_!" Elena shrieked.

Ember failed drastically and could no longer hold in her laughter. She collapsed onto the ground and giggled uncontrollably, not noticing that Jenna and Elena were now glaring at her with plans of retribution whirring in their respective noggins. First to recover from his shock, Jeremy bounded forward with a big smile on his face, and when he met Ember's mirthful eyes, his had a knowing glint, "Thing from Addams Family?"

"Uh-huh," Ember nodded, getting back onto her feet and wiping away the few stray tears of laughter that managed to cascade down her face, "That was my inspiration. I animated the hands to take up a life of their own. Every two days I'd have to recast the spell. To make it permanent I'd have to carve everlasting runes onto them, but I wasn't in the mood."

Jenna and Elena hesitantly approached the hands with identical expressions of awe. "That's, that's impressive, Em," Jenna beamed in pride. Elena bobbed her head in agreement and just as her finger went to stroke the hand closest to her, she paused in her approach, chocolate orbs burning into Ember's emeralds in a mixture of uncertainty and suspicion, "They aren't _real_ , are they?"

Ember deliberately avoided any and all eye contact whatsoever, humming an innocent tune under her breath in response to her twin's inquisition.

"EMBER!" Jenna, Elena and Jeremy yelled in unison, revulsion blanketing their features as they once again, created a distance between them and the animated hands. Scratching her chin, portraying the image of innocence, Ember casually said, "Okay, so I amputated Pearl's hands. _So what_? She deserved it. I walked in on her about to gouge Damon's pretty blue eyes out. Anna needs an incentive to kill off the twenty-five tomb vampires and I gave her one."

"You are _seriously_ twisted," Elena gasped, though in contrast to her words, she didn't seem repulsed by her twin, only shocked and mildly amused. "I knew you were dark, but dayum, twinny," she shook her head in exasperation. Ember winked, "Taking a walk on the dark side is invigorating, and you know it, Miss I-Am-Dating-A-Vampire, so shush! Besides, I sterilized them, _duh_!" Ember pointed out, a teasing quality in her tone.

Jenna closed her eyes and recalled her yoga sessions; she inhaled and exhaled quite a few times in a desperate effort to calm herself down and clear her mind before shaking her head and turning to ascend the stairs, "I am just going to go sleep this off. Hopefully when I wake up tomorrow, we won't be emulating the Addams Family. Goodnight!"

"Huh, she took it better than I thought," Ember smirked, cupping her hands together and allowing Thing and Thing to climb her hands and perch both shoulders. "I'm gonna hit the hay. Nightie night, don't let the bed bugs bite."

Five minutes after Ember left the living room and both Elena and Jeremy had ejected the DVD from the player and cleaned up all remnants of Ember's ice-cream binge. Elena pecked Jeremy a kiss goodnight and they both entered their respective rooms, thoughts of their sister's insanity on the forefront of their minds.

 _Yup. Let it be said, there was never a dull day at the Gilbert Residence._

* * *

The chiming of her phone from its usual spot underneath her pillow succeeded in abruptly awakening the brunette. Groaning into her pillow, Elena chose to ignore it after her bleary eyes met the alarm clock perched on her bedside table, the bold red numbers blinking at her, stating that it was seven in the freaking morning. Seriously, _it was a Saturday_! Who on earth would disrupt her sleep at 7 a.m. on a _freaking! Saturday_?! Her friends knew better than that. But just as Elena's eyelids shuttered, the window in her bedroom blew open, banging against the wall with a loud _thud_ and prompting the brunette to shoot up from her sleeping position, her heart beating loudly and erratically like drums.

The chilling wind from the storm that was currently brewing in Mystic Falls engulfed her entire form, eliciting goosebumps on every sliver of unclothed skin and giving her the feeling of being doused in a bucket of ice-cold water. "Fine. I'm up, I'm up!" Lazily crawling out of her warm and comfy bed, Elena faced the fact that she wouldn't be getting much more sleep and with fervent irritation, she slammed her window shut and locked the latch before snatching her phone and angrily unlocking her phone.

 **SOS! My dad isn't home, come over. – Bonnie.**

 _Direct and to the point!_

"If you weren't one of my best friends I'd strangle you," Elena murmured to herself as she rooted through her closet for warm clothes, most importantly a hoodie. "And here I am talking to myself. _Great_. Em's insanity is rubbing off on me!"

Pausing in her irate grumblings, Elena ducked into the shower and set the temperature on steaming. Twenty minutes later, the brunette was bundled up in thick, warm clothing and was rapidly draining a mug of coffee. Grabbing her flowery patterned umbrella and her car keys, Elena's hand paused on the handle of the front door, and on second thought, quickly scribbled a note for her aunt and siblings and left it on the kitchen island.

 **On my way. – Elena.**

Parking in front of the Hopkins driveway, Elena opened the car door from the inside and was currently focused on unfastening the umbrella, when it was suddenly snatched from her grip and harshly tossed onto the wet ground. "Hey, what the he-" she choked back her next words at the gruesome sight in front of her, her chocolate orbs widening in unrestrained fear. Her survival instincts kicked in and she quickly went to slam her feet on the pedal, despite the car door being held open, but before she knew it, a strong hand curled around her elbow in a vice grip and forcibly yanked her out of the car, with Elena kicking and screaming.

Once she was uncouthly tossed onto the ground, her behind splattering onto the scaling puddle and prompting the freezing water to spread all over her jeans and seep into her skin, she stubbornly met the eyes of her assailant and bravely snarled out, " _You_!"

"Me," the vampire from last night simply retorted in an eerily calm voice, "But you can call me Frederick. And this lady over here is my lovely Bethanne." Elena craned forward to look more clearly at the vampiress, and when her eyes took in the beautiful woman with a russet skin tone and emotionless black orbs, she noticed an unconscious female lying on the ground by Bethanne's feet… a familiar girl –

" _Bonnie_! Oh my God! BONNIE!" Ignoring the fact that she was surrounded by five vampires that were obviously older than the Salvatores, Elena crawled the distance separating her from her best friend, and cradled her head onto her lap, softly yet desperately shaking her to wake up. Glaring at Frederick's smug face, she yelled, "What did you do to her?! Better yet; what do you want from us? Like I said last night, I am NOT Katherine!" she hysterically babbled out, not once pausing in her administrations to bring her witchy best friend back to consciousness.

Frederick had a cruel smile materialize on his face and he took a few menacing steps towards Elena until he loomed above her, "Oh, I know who you are, Elena _Gilbert_. You see, when me and my friends were finally released from the tomb, we decided to exact revenge on the Founding Families for pursuing us in 1864," he then knelt down on the ground and painfully gripped her chin, forcing her to face him, "But plans changed once Anna informed us of your sister and the Bennett Matriarch's resolve in having us killed after 145 of HELL and desiccation!" he spat before smirking nefariously at her, "What better way to exact revenge than to kill what they hold most dearly – you and your little witch friend. You sharing the same face of that bitch and belonging to a Founding Family is just an added bonus!"

Elena found herself in a catatonic state; despite knowing about magic and vampires and all the supernatural evil in the world from the age of ten, Elena had never before faced a dangerous situation that risked her life, and she was terrified. She hated to admit it, but Frederick's plan was iniquitously ingenious! As Ember's twin, Elena was her other half, and losing her would tatter her soul and basically rip Ember apart. Bonnie was Sheila's granddaughter, and ever since Abby Bennett walked out without another word or even a backward glance, Bonnie was Sheila's entire world.

Suddenly, Elena's depressed expression turned alight as the protean bracelet Ember charmed for dangerous situations such as this, weighed heavily on her wrist. Just as Elena released Bonnie and went to press on the dragot, Bethanne was ordered by Frederick to knock her out. She tried fighting the darkness with all her might, but in the end, Elena dismally lost, and she succumbed to the sweet, blissful state of unconsciousness, her thumb a hairsbreadth away from the dragot that would have saved her and Bonnie from tormented captivity at the hands of twenty-five vindictive vampires.

Frederick chuckled darkly and linked arms with Bethanne, his malicious dark orbs watching with unadulterated glee as two of his fellow comrades hauled the two mortals onto their backs and vampire-sped to Miss Gibbon's farmhouse.

"Don't you just love storms?" he cackled.

 _Revenge is sweet!_

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Cassiopeia Black – Ashley Benson**_

 _ **Leo Black – Zac Efron**_

 _ **Annabelle "Anna" Zhu – Malese Jow**_

 _ **Pearl Zhu – Kelly Hu**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **That's all for now! Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter? XD**

 **(1)The road to forgiveness is a long one, in terms of Ember and the Potters. But as I sat down to start writing this chapter, my mind suddenly flashed to the Blacks, and I never added a confrontation between Ember and her god-siblings, Cassie and Leo, so I decided:** _ **why the hell not?**_ **I mean, don't get me wrong, Ember may forgive the Potters way-way-w** _ **aaaa**_ **y later, or perhaps NEVER. Honestly, the story takes a life of its own and sometimes it writes itself out, despite my plots and my ideas. So, yeah. I'm playing with the idea of maybe adding a causal relationship between Ember and the Blacks that would connect her later on with the Potters, but I'm still unsure. I am currently playing with the idea. (2) What did you think about the whole Pearl/Ember/Anna confrontation? Chopping Pearl's hands off just randomly sprung to mind and I couldn't help but add it into the story plot. Did you enjoy that scene? (3) Damber? or Dember? or Emon? LOL! Damon and Ember are finally a couple! AAAH! However, sorry to burst any Damon supporters' bubbles, but the endgame isn't Damon/Ember. Everyone needs to have a few relationships before meeting their one, don't ya think? ;) (4) Did you like the Gilbert Bonding? (BTW, Jenna is an honorary Gilbert, so yes, she is included) To risk blathering and annoying you all, but… while I watched TVD and TO, I noticed that on-screen, it's all supernatural, supernatural, supernatural NONSTOP! I mean, I'm trying to deviate from canon, so I thought, why not add a nice bonding fluff scene? So, I portrayed that YES, there is an outside world, and YES, the inhabitants of Mystic Falls are like any normal person who drools over hot celebrities and has the time to watch movies instead of just battling vampires, werewolves, hybrids , witches, and immortals and spending all their free-time trying to survive. So I hope it was to your liking? (5) I couldn't help but add the Addams Family reference, LOL! (6) As you can see, I deviated far from canon, by targeting Elena and Bonnie instead. I mean, screw revenge to the Founding Families when somebody was planning on killing them after 145 years of entombment in a mummified state, right? Instead of Stefan being captured and tortured, I spiced it up a bit. Excited? I hope so! ;) (7) And lastly: Ember is powerful and a kickass witch with an ingenious mind. Everyone should fear her and she has a lot of potential the more she grows and learns by self-study and auror training. And I will tell you, she will only grow to become even more powerful as the story progresses.** _ **However**_ **, if I make everything easy for her and the Mystic Falls Gang, the story will become boring. Don't get me wrong, Ember is an amazing heroine and could easily save the day (especially with those protean bracelets) but I'm trying to spice things up. I mean… take this scenario for example: Elena managed to press onto the dragot, Ember would have showed up and easily kicked ass. Is it just me or does that sound boring? So yeah, I'm trying to add some action and all. I am sorry if you didn't like it and are frustrated because Ember didn't save the day… but everything cannot be solved so easily and efficiently without some drama.**

 **Sorry for the rambling! I'll have the next chapter up in a week tops! XD**

 **R &R.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 18:**

When Ember entered the kitchen to join her family for breakfast, she abruptly halted in her footsteps, prompting Jeremy, who had been close behind, to knock into her. Rubbing his bleary eyes, Jeremy groaned, "Jeez Em, give a guy some warning before you freeze in place-, what are you star…" he trailed off as he got a good look at the humorous sight that grasped Ember's attention and he stifled a snort of laughter. Jenna seemed to be having an intense stare-off with Thing and Thing – the severed animated hands of Pearl's – both of which were utterly still on the island next to Jenna's ceramic coffee mug.

Shaking her head in amusement, Ember skipped toward the coffee maker, her emeralds dancing with mirth, "You gonna stare at them all day, Aunt Jenna?" Too entranced in the animated hands, Jenna failed to notice the presence of her niece and nephew, and she whirled around in fright, one hand jumping to her chest, "You scared me! Wear a bell next time, Ember!" her retort lacked any bite however. "Please tell me you're going to get rid of them?" she pleaded.

Jeremy grinned, "I like them. They're cool." Ember nodded vigorously, two mugs filed with coffee in her hands, and she offered one over to her little brother who flashed her a gratified smile in return as he took a sip of the heavenly liquid. Jenna looked appalled, "Seriously? We can't live with the severed hands of a vampire, Ember! I'd prefer you get a dog!"

In sync, Ember and Jeremy gaped at their aunt in a mixture of shock and disbelief; the three Gilbert siblings, for as long as they could remember, incessantly nagged, begged, whined and pleaded their parents for a dog. Unfortunately, their mother had a mild chronic disorder of OCD in terms of cleanliness; Miranda had a mild fear of germs and contamination, therefore, having a mangy mutt in the house was a huge no-no. Jenna never had a pet growing up out of respect to her older sister's chronic disorder, and so the subject was a taboo… until now.

"Wow, Aunt Jen, you must be desperate to bargain with a dog," Ember smirked, ignoring Thing and Thing demanding her attention in preference to gauging her aunt's sincerity. Jenna huffed and focused her attention on the toaster when Jeremy suddenly piped up, "Where's Elena?"

Wordlessly, Jenna pointed a finger toward a piece of paper on the fridge. Ember ambled toward it and quickly read it before answering Jeremy's inquiry and munching on a toast, "At Bonnie's. Speaking of which, I'm going to the Grill to meet up with Care before she heads over to her dad's. Jer, you wanna tag along?"

Jeremy shook his head, suddenly shifting guiltily in his seat. "Actually, I, uh, I kind of made friends with Leo Black and we made plans to meet at the Grill later. Please don't hate me," he rushed out, unable to meet his sister's eye. Unseen to the youngest Gilbert, Jenna and Ember traded baffled glances, not having expected the odd friendship to blossom. After recovering from her momentary shock, the redhead was consumed with guilt – unlike her and Elena, Jeremy always had difficulties making friends; he was Mystic Falls' loner and after their parents' death, he took a deeper plunge into the rabbit hole by constantly imbibing drugs and alcohol, and Vicki Donovan seemed to be the only person he got along with. Yeah, Jeremy had an amicable relationship with Ember and Elena's friends, but he never had any of his _own_ friends, and despite Ember feeling iffy over her baby bro befriending the Brits, she couldn't fault him for it and she would never even think of denying him a friend.

Ember cupped Jeremy's chin and titled his head up to establish eye-contact, "Jer, you've _nothing_ to feel guilty for, I am glad you're opening up more and making friends, kay? Besides," she winked, "The Blacks seem to be okay folks. Don't you worry about me."

Jeremy's kicked puppy face brightened in an instant and he wasted no time in embracing her, "Thanks, Em."

* * *

Blinking a couple of times, the black void started to dissipate only to be replaced by bleak colors. She felt like her head was being split into two and it took a lot of effort to merely lift her head in order to inspect her surroundings. The atmosphere was gloomy; there was barely any light engulfing the shabby room. The white walls were chipped in and yellowing, the paint peeling that spoke of years of negligence. The ground was a stony gray. All in all, it felt like a dungeon. The only noise that could be heard was the aggressive storm brewing outside and heavy footsteps thundering from above her, heavily hinting that she was currently kept hostage in a basement. She felt like the walls were closing in.

Ignoring her oppressive surroundings for the time being, the brunette concentrated on her current predicament; she was sitting on a hard, wooden armchair that was severely uncomfortable and frankly, made her ass numb. Her ankles were bound together tightly and each wrist was bound with thick rope on each armrest, therefore allowing her no chance to reach out and press her protean bracelet to call for help. The heavy smell of vervain infiltrated her nostrils and she knew that the ropes were laced with the toxic herb in case any vampire came to rescue her. _Damn, her captor was an ingenious bastard!_

Hearing a pained groan from her direct right, Elena whipped around, suppressing her moan of pain and blinking through the dizzying spots, and gasped loudly in remembrance. She vividly recalled the events of this morning; the tomb vampires – _Frederick!_ – tricked her into leaving the safety of her home so that they could take her and Bonnie hostage in revenge. " _Bonnie_!" she hissed, "Bonnie! Wake up, come on, Bon!"

The witch's eyelids fluttered open, portraying hazel-green eyes flickering from her to their oppressive surroundings in unmitigated fear, "Elena? What-what happened? Where are we? What's going on?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Elena inquired, her senses on overdrive in case a vampire sprung at them out of nowhere. Rule number one, never let your guard down when facing the unknown, and rule number two, never underestimate the enemy; ever since the age of thirteen, those two rules had been ingrained in her brain by Uncle John, when he used to train her and Ember every summer in physical self-defense.

The fog slowly lifted from Bonnie's mind and her eyes hardened at the memory, "I woke up early, at first I thought it was because of the storm, but…" she shook her head as though disappointed in her foolishness, "It turned out to be somebody knocking non-stop on my door. But when I opened the front door, there was nobody. I went out to get a better look and the next thing I know, there was a heavy blow to the back of my head and I lost consciousness."

"The tomb vampires kidnapped us," Elena bluntly told her; Bonnie shivered, either in fright regarding their predicament, or due to her state of undress, after all, Frederick and his goons kidnapped her in her PJs. _The bastards_!

"You're awake! Excellent!" Elena stilled in her administrations of trying to unbound her wrists; she would recognize Frederick's sinister voice anywhere. Behind him, stood four vampires, including his girlfriend Beth-whatever, and all the male vamps were shamelessly leering at the witch and the doppelgänger. Bonnie, in her rage, wasted no time in going on attack mode; she glared at Frederick, her eyes turning into slits and before anyone could blink, he dropped down onto the ground, screaming in agony due to the onslaught of Bonnie's pain infliction spell.

However, the second Frederick dropped, Beth-whatever positioned herself behind Elena, a dagger held horizontally against her throat and she snarled at Bonnie, "I wouldn't if I were you, Bennett witch. One flick and she's dead." To support her threat, the vampiress added pressure and a drop of blood trickled down her throat. In an instant, Bonnie released Frederick from her spell and incensed, the bastard smacked Bonnie across the face, a stinging handprint appearing on her cheek, contrasting heavily with her caramel complexion.

"If I were you, I'd behave," Frederick sneered at them, "But don't worry, once your precious sister and beloved grandmother come to your rescue, I'll kill them, and then, I'll kill you!"

Courage and confidence coursed through Elena's veins as she sneered at the sinister vampire. "You're an idiot! You lot just signed your own death warrant. Ember will kill you all, just wait and see," she spat out. Her confidence in regards to her twin was met with collective, cynical laughter. Beth-whatever rolled her eyes and extracted the dagger from her throat as she went to join her boyfriend's side, "Your unwavering faith is _touching_ , but she's no match for us, human!"

"You think so?" Elena smirked suddenly, a devious quality to it that shocked the vampires and Bonnie. "Well then, ask yourselves this… who do you think is responsible for Pearl's lack of limbs, _vampire_?" she mocked, and while the three vampires in the background froze in shock and slight fear, Frederick sneered and Beth-whatever decided to let out her rage by slapping Elena across the face, hard enough for her to spit out blood.

Unknown to the bevy of vampires in the house, a lone figure stood unseen behind the door of the basement, trying to blend in with the shadows. His warm brown eyes widened in horror as the events unfolded and unable to stomach the gruesome scene any longer, he flashed out of the house, thankful that he could roam around town without a daylight amulet due to the tumultuous storm. He couldn't just stand idly by and do nothing… it was time for him to decide who his loyalty belonged to.

* * *

Ember greedily slurped her chocolate milkshake, her emerald eyes fondly taking in Jeremy's exuberance as he played a game of pool with Leo Black, who seemed to be befuddled and in awe with the 'muggle game'. Since it was a Saturday, Mystic Grill was packed; the Potters and the Blacks were seated in a booth at the corner, the flock of flaming red hairs and the bushy-haired beaver missing, probably out with the handsome Bill Weasley. The Lockwoods were gathered in their regular booth in the middle of the Grill, and currently, Ember was with Caroline by the bar, her attention swiveling from her brother to her best friend as she traded googly eyes with Matt who was working at the moment.

"Should I give you privacy so that you can continue ogling Mattie?" Ember smirked. Caroline blushed profusely and playfully smacked the redhead, averting her cornflower-blues from Matt's firm and nicely rounded behind, "Oh hush you. If Damon were here, you'd do the same thing, and speaking of which, I can _not_ believe you're dating him."

Ember shrugged, a genuine smile on her face as she stirred the remnants of her beverage, "He shows me a different side to him, Care. Whenever I'm around, he lets go of that cocky mask of arrogance and just, he's himself. He lets me in."

For a second, Caroline gaped at her best friend, before a smile tugged on her lips, "Oh my _god_! Em, you've got it bad!"

Ember rolled her eyes and hastily changed the subject, "When are you leaving?"

All chirpiness disappeared from Caroline's visage and she groaned glumly, "Now actually. Stupid tradition," she mumbled. Ember frowned at that, "Care, maybe you should call your dad and cancel. It's dangerous to drive during the storm."

"I have to. It's my dad's boyfriend's daughter's birthday. You know that it's a stupid non-traditional traditional ritual. I can't just bail," she huffed as she stood up and grabbed her purse, " _But_ , I'll call you the moment I get there safely, so stop fussing." Embracing her best friend, Caroline approached Matt, kissed him goodbye and departed the Grill.

Finishing her milkshake, Ember allowed herself to take in the bustling of the Grill when all of a sudden, her eyes narrowed in on Anna, who was currently stalking Jeremy and Leo. That pathetic bitch cannot take no for answer! Gritting her teeth, Ember was seconds away from rushing over to the perpetual fifteen-year-old stalker, when her phone rang, interrupting her dark thoughts. Taking a look at the I.D. Caller, Ember frowned in puzzlement; why would Sheila Bennett call her?

"Hello?"

"Ember, we have a problem," Sheila sounded rattled, which only succeeded in raising the redhead's blood pressure, heartbeat drumming violently against her ribcage. The conversation took a turn for the worse… the more Sheila spoke, the more distressed Ember became and her heart clenched in fear. Bonnie hadn't been answering Sheila's calls all day, so when the Bennett Matriarch drove to Mr. Hopkins house, she didn't just find an empty house, but Elena's car by the sidewalk, abandoned with the door wide open – an obvious indication of a struggle.

"Okay, okay, here's what we're going to do," due to Ilvermorny, her auror training and Uncle John's lessons of self-defense, Ember was deft in remaining calm. If she ran half-cocked into a dangerous situation and allowed her impulsiveness to take control, then a lot could go wrong. Auror Carac lectured her and Reina on the importance of remaining calm and levelheaded when facing dilemmas. "Meet me at the Boarding House. Elena left her cardigan in my car, we can use it to cast a locator spell."

After sending an 'SOS' to Stefan and Damon, Ember stormed over to Anna, who was trying and _failing_ to instigate conversation with Jeremy. She wandlessly cast a misdirecting charm around her so that the oblivious residents in the Grill wouldn't notice the scuffle and grabbed Anna by the collar, smashing her violently against the wall.

" _Ember_!" Jeremy gasped out, dropping the billiard stick and rushing over to his sister's side while Leo gaped at them, wide-eyed. However, when the youngest Gilbert scrutinized their surroundings, he noticed that nobody but the Blacks and Potters batted an eyelash and he immediately understood that Ember cast some sort of charm.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" Ember screamed as Jeremy forcibly separated her from the nearly six-hundred-year-old vampire. A few black veins made an appearance below Anna's eyes before quickly disappearing, "Who the hell are you talking about?" she snarled.

"Elena and Bonnie!" Ember snapped, and if looks could kill, Anna would be six-feet under. "They're missing, and the last place they were supposed to be, shows signs of a struggle, meaning your band of tomb vamps had something to do with their disappearance!"

Anna scoffed, "Even if what you're saying is true, my mother and I had _nothing_ to do with it!"

Ember sneered at her in hatred, " _You_ are the reason they survived you backstabbing bitch, therefore, the fault is yours! You were supposed to end them, but you didn't. Any chance of your mother getting her hands back just got sucked down the drain! You have no idea who you're dealing with and you better hope for your sake that my sister and best friend are still alive, otherwise you're going to wish for a quick death!" she threatened.

Her sclera turned blood red and her fangs began to protrude; Ember wielded her wand threateningly, almost daring Anna to attack, "Leave, Anna! Go warn your precious mother that your time is up. _Now_!" Once Anna departed in fury, Ember tearfully gazed at her equally concerned brother, "Jer, I want you to stay here with Leo, don't leave until I come and get you, understand?"

"What- no, Em, I want to help," Jeremy was too stubborn for his own good. Clasping his hands in hers, Ember shook her head, "Jer, you have no magic, no training. It's going to be a bloodbath and I _cannot_ save Elena and Bonnie while keeping an eye on you. I'll just be distracted and we'll all end up dead. Trust me, Jer. Please don't argue and just do as I say."

He didn't like it, but Jeremy knew that his sister made a decent point. "Fine. I'll stay here, but, Em… why didn't Elena use her bracelet? You don't think, she's not…" he swallowed roughly, unable to say the dreaded word out loud. Ember was only too quick to put his worries to rest, "No, they aren't dead. Jer, they're being used as bait…" turning around, Ember noticed that Cassie stood by her brother's side, her features drawn in alarm, "I hate to ask this of you two, but, can you please keep an eye on my brother?"

Cassie nodded fervently, "Sure. But, is everything okay?" The redhead detected genuine concern and she didn't fail to notice the Potters and the Blacks gaze burning into her form. She shook her head solemnly, tears escaping her lids, "No. But they will be. Just, just please watch out for my brother, I'll be back soon."

Before Ember left the Grill, Jeremy pulled her into a tight hug, and he whispered in a strangled voice, "Promise me that you and Elena will come back. I can't lose you guys."

"I promise."

The second Ember left, he was met with the inquiring gazes of his new friend and his older sister, but before they could attack him with an onslaught of questions, from his peripheral vision, he noticed Alaric Saltzman by the bar and a brilliant idea formed in his head, "One sec!" he called out to them. He rushed over to Mr. Saltzman, "Sir. I, _we_ need your help!" he frantically blurted out.

Vehemently taken aback, Alaric gaped at his student and the nephew of the woman he was quickly becoming enamored of, "Woah, Jeremy, slow down. What happened?"

"Elena and Bonnie have been kidnapped by vampires _. Twenty-five vampires_!" Jeremy sounded desperate. Alaric was overwhelmed with concern but he neutrally uttered, "Uh, why are you telling me this, Jeremy?"

"I heard about your ring, please, Mr. Saltzman. We need your help," Jeremy pleaded. Ember told him to stay in the Grill, but that didn't mean he had to be completely useless. According to Stefan, Alaric was a vampire hunter and according to his sisters, he had a ring that protected him from permanent death. The least Jeremy could do to protect his sisters, was gain backup.

* * *

Upon receiving an SOS from Ember, the last thing Damon and Stefan ever expected to hear was that Elena and Bonnie were currently being held hostage by twenty-five vindictive vampires hell-bent on revenge. Ember and Sheila arrived at the same time, both sporting grim expressions and both feeling the uncontrollable urge to destroy those that dared to threaten and harm their loved ones. Stefan's reaction had been most alarming; while Damon let out a litany of insults and notes of levity in true Damon fashion, Stefan's posture was rigid, his jaw clenched and he basically radiated murderous rage.

"I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that took them," Damon snarled, a arm wrapped protectively around Ember's waist in an effort to abate her fear. And for the first time since discovering Elena's fate, Stefan spoke up, his tone laced with sarcasm, "Yeah. And then what? We turn to the rest of the house of vampires and say, ' _oops. Sorry_ '?"

Ember extricated herself from Damon's warm hold and plopped herself next to Sheila on the futon, emeralds gazing sternly between the Salvatore brothers, "Stefan's right, Damon. We need to be smart about this. We cannot just barge in guns blazing and not expect a bloodbath. We need a foolproof plan. Get in, get out, preferably with our hearts still intact."

Before Damon could get a word in, Sheila let out an irritated sigh, tossing aside a necklace belonging to Bonnie and Elena's cardigan Ember had previously given her, "I am being blocked. I am unable to locate them." Ember dragged a hand down her face, "We already knew that Anna has a witch working for her. After my countless threats, I bet she took many safety precautions to buy them time."

The Bennett Matriarch wanted to rant and rave about the abominations, incensed that they dared to capture her granddaughter, but she didn't. Not only did she recall Ember's claim regarding the progenitor of the Bennett Line against the millennia-old prejudice, but the Salvatores were willingly risking their lives for Bonnie and Elena, which supported Ember's defense that not all vampires were evil and unreasonable. With a loud sigh, Sheila decided to give the locator spell another try, hoping her rage would fuel the spell when suddenly, the doorbell rang and Alaric stepped in, a confused Stefan taking the rear.

"Mr. Saltzman?" Ember cocked her head to the side in puzzlement. Damon's brows threatened to disappear beneath his hairline as he took in the last person he ever expected to see causally strut into a vampire's lair. Alaric's hazel orbs flickered at the four worried beings working together to save two teenage girls, and he felt more confident over his agreement to help them out. "Jeremy came up to me at the Grill, told me what happened, asked for my help. Couldn't refuse," he smiled grimly before carefully dropping a box filled to the brim with weapons.

Ember, Sheila and Stefan shot him gratified smiles, thankful for the added help. Damon however, scrutinized him in a mixture of skepticism and suspicion, "What's in it for you?" Ember smacked him in the chest, eyes narrowing in warning, "What Damon here meant, was _thank you_ , we'll take all the help we can get." The redhead then focused on the box, ignoring Damon's annoyed grumbling, "What are those?"

The two vampires and two witches watched in interest as Alaric pulled out an impressive arsenal of vampire weapons. "Those are tranquilizer darts filled with vervain. Those are vervain grenades-"

"Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night," Damon quipped. Ember and Stefan facepalmed in unison, just as Alaric shot him an aggravated glare, "I've you to thank for that." But Damon merely rolled his eyes in response. Sheila however, was too quick to point out the obvious, "I am still unable to narrow down their exact location."

"Uh, I can help you with that," a quiet voice that sounded too familiar to Ember, hesitantly piped up from the hallway. Five pairs of eyes snapped up toward the direction, warily taking in the intruder. Damon wasted no time in pouncing, a hand immediately curling the intruder's throat as he slammed him against the wall. Ember instinctively waved her hand, wandlessly banishing Damon from the newbie vampire, "Ben? What are you doing here?"

Ben McKittrick, Anna's little helper and previous Casanova of Mystic Falls who had graduated two years ago; Ember hoped she got through to his thick skull back when she and Elena confronted him and Anna at their motel room, but weeks has gone by and she truly believed him to be a lost cause. Now however, Ember didn't want to get her hopes up, but why else would Ben have come?

"Can you _stop_ using your magic on me?" Damon snarled, brushing a few specks of dust as he lifted himself from the ground. Girlfriend or not, he hated taking the brunt of witchy-woo spells. Ember pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, "Maybe if you'd _think_ BEFORE you act, I wouldn't have to!"

Sheila decided to cut into the argument before it could escalate, "We're wasting time. Child, why have you come?"

Ben fidgeted uncomfortably under Sheila Bennett's intense gaze; naturally, during his youth, he heard the many wild rumors about the kooky old lady, and he made it a point to avoid her at all costs. Now that he was a creature of the night, his past fears were ridiculous, even though Anna confided that she was a powerful witch and a scary person to cross. But when he squarely faced Ember Gilbert, he felt his fears dissipate at the familiar face of the girl he, like most of the male teenagers in towns, harbored a small crush on. "I came to lead you to Elena and Bonnie."

This time, Stefan beat his brother to the punch, "Why? How do we know you're not leading us to a trap?"

"I-I don't want to be like this. _This_ , everything that's happened, I _never_ wanted this!" Ben looked desperate, his warm brown eyes imploring them to believe him, "Anna forced me to turn, she compelled me and used me and… I don't want anyone else to suffer. I'm not _like that_! I may not have known Elena and Bonnie personally, but… I was raised in this town just like them, they're innocent, they don't deserve the wrath of Frederick and Bethanne, or Anna and her mother. When I saw them hit Elena and Bonnie, I couldn't just stand there and do nothing, but I'm just a baby vampire, I'm no match for them."

Hearing that Elena and Bonnie were being physically abused by the tomb vampires had Ember, Stefan and Sheila frothing with apoplectic rage. Ember's emeralds glowed like the perfect replica of the Killing Curse, "Okay, here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

The storm was indecisive; the deafening rumbles would suddenly pause and the deluge converted to a bearable drizzle. However, as the lone figure resolutely marched toward the dilapidated farmhouse, the drizzle was quickly becoming a downpour, nearly muting the aggressive knocking on the door, and it would have went completely unheard if it weren't for the inhabitants' uncanny keen senses of hearing that far exceeded those of humans.

"Frederick! Open this door! I swear to God I'll bust through and rip your head off!" the lone man growled in unadulterated fury. The oak door swung open and Frederick himself appeared in the line of vision, a smug smirk on his face, "Well, well, well. _Damon_ _Salvatore_. Not exactly who I was expecting." His malicious onyx orbs mockingly lifted up in the direction of the heavens, "Hmm. Beautiful weather. Not a ray of sun in the sky."

Damon gritted his teeth in irritation, he never liked that bastard in 1864, and his hatred for the vampire only managed to increase 145 years later, "Let the girls go, or you're dead!"

Frederick smirked and beckoned the owner of the house forward. "Miss Gibbons? Never let this bad man in," he compelled her, and just as the old woman had been about to robotically repeat his words, a deep horizontal gash materialized on her throat, blood gushing in torrents and she collapsed on the ground. Dead.

"Wha-"

"Sorry I'm late," Ember appeared from the alcove she had been hiding in, waiting for the opportune moment to intervene. She spared a quick mournful glance at poor Miss Gibbons; Ember despised robbing innocents of their lives, but there was no escaping her unfortunate fate. With the owner of the house in the way, Elena and Bonnie were beyond rescuing and according to Ben, she had no living relative, meaning the deed of the house solely belonged to her. Ember wasn't ashamed to admit that she would do anything to save those she loves, regardless of the collateral damage, and if it made Ember cruel or heartless, then so be it, as long as her loved ones remain safe and alive.

Fingering her wand threateningly, Ember sneered maliciously at the flabbergasted vampire in charge, "Where are my manners. I'm Ember Gilbert, I assume you've been expecting me?" and not waiting for the vampire to recover from his shock, Ember banished him inside the house with a violent wave of her hand. Damon smugly stepped over the threshold, eyes darkening with rage, his sclera turning red and his fangs elongating as he inspected the room filled to the brim with the previously entombed vampires, "This is going to be fun!"

"Frederick's mine, you take care of the rest," Ember addressed Damon, not once detaching her incensed orbs from the monster that challenged her wrath. Aiming her wand at him, she bellowed her most favorable tormenting spell, " _CRUCIO_!"

The distinctive racket of a brawl infiltrated her hearing as Damon staked a vampire while plunging his hand into another one's chest.

* * *

Stefan and Sheila stood waiting by the backdoor for Damon and Ember to eliminate the owner of the house. It was not in Sheila Bennett's nature to stand by the sidelines and accept an innocent mortal's death, but she was selfish. Like Ember, she would do anything in her power to keep her granddaughter safe and in a war, sacrifices must be made. The poor woman had been through a living hell according to Benjamin; compelled around the clock and used as a walking-talking blood bag was no way to live… it would be a mercy killing, really.

It was a comfortable silence; the vampire and the witch had no grudge but a surprising past, therefore they were able to work amicably alongside each other without complaint. Suddenly, after five minutes of waiting, Stefan's hand succeeded in passing through the invitation barrier and he grimaced in response to Sheila's conflicted expression, "Stick with me, okay?"

Amusement glittered in her mahogany orbs, "Don't you worry about an old warhorse like me, Stefan. I can take them." And together, the unlikely alliance cautiously traipsed into the farmhouse and they immediately bumped into the welcoming committee. In perfect unison, Stefan whipped out one of the stakes he had in his possession and started clashing with a vampire while Sheila had a female vampire screaming in agony under a pain infliction spell, her brain cells bursting in frenzy. Just as Stefan triumphed in staking his vampire, Sheila lazily incanted, " _Phasmatos Incendia_!" and the female vampire ignited in flames, unable to escape the potency of witch-fire fuelled by the spirits and the matriarch's rage.

Stefan grinned at the old witch, "Impressive."

Sheila chuckled, she would never admit it to anyone, but she was enjoying herself, as well as the odd alliance with vampires. Perhaps Ember and her progenitor made a decent point. Unfortunately, her inward mulling was put on an abrupt halt as they entered the living room, eyes widening at the carnage. Ember stood to the side, torturing who they assumed to be Frederick, while Damon stood over three desiccated vampires, two of which were missing their vital cavities, and the third had a stake implanted in his heart. Stefan joined the fray in an instant, fighting alongside his big brother and giving Sheila ample opportunity to search for Elena and Bonnie; however, before the Bennett Matriarch took a step forward, a furious vampiress blocked her path.

"We've been expecting you, _witch_!" she sneered, black eyes shining with malice. Sheila glared back with ill-concealed hatred, recognizing her from Benjamin's description to be the co-conspirator of capturing her granddaughter and Elena, "Bethanne, I presume?"

Bethanne merely growled in response and bent her legs, preparing to spring, but Sheila shot both hands forward, and began intoning a paralysis spell, preventing her from moving an inch.

 _Let the battle begin._

* * *

Meanwhile, Alaric was tasked with locating and liberating Elena and Bonnie. Grateful for Ben's layout of the place, the young vampire and the vampire hunter jumped onto the porch, and broke the windowpane leading to the staircase of the cellar and stealthily descended. A lone vampire stood guard and Alaric easily eliminated him with a crossbow, the stake projecting neatly in his heart.

"Cool!" Ben was in awe; if only he had a cool history teacher back in his high school days instead of douchebag Tanner. Alaric smirked in amusement at the newbie vampire and silently beckoned him forward. A minute later, they stormed into the cellar undetected, hazel and brown eyes taking in the two bounded girls, a couple of ugly bruises marring their features and making Alaric's blood boil with rage.

"Mr. Saltzman!" " _Ben_?!" Respectively, Bonnie's relieved cry of joy and Elena's surprised inquiry reverberated around the cellar.

Alaric offered them a comforting smile in an effort to alleviate their fear, "Don't worry, we're gonna get you out. Ember, your grandmother and the Salvatores are up fighting the rest of the vampires. We gotta get you out of here. Ben, you-"

"No!" Elena quickly halted Ben from unbinding her, "The ropes are laced with vervain!"

Alaric nodded while untying Bonnie, "Ben, guard the door while I untie them." Ben gulped, but bravely acquiesced, a vervain grenade in one hand, and a wooden stake in the other.

* * *

Seven dead vampires littered the floor, courtesy of Damon and Stefan Salvatore; self-preservation kicked in and the remaining vampires fled the farmhouse, not wanting to risk their lives any longer, leaving Frederick and Bethanne by their lonesome to reap what they sowed.

"Bunch of cowards!" Damon snarled in aggravation before an amused smirk slid onto his face, "Ember, babe, stop playing with your food and kill him already."

"Sheila, let Frederick watch his girlfriend burn," Ember darkly suggested. Sheila instantly complied, " _Phasmatos Incendia_!" Bethanne's agonizing screams blended wonderfully with Frederick's roar of anger and grief, and just as Bethanne was reduced to a pile of ash by the Bennett Matriarch's feet, Ember slashed his chest open and snarled, " _Accio heart_!"

It was only fitting for Frederick's punishment to be his heart literally _and_ figuratively being ripped out, after all, his entire scheme was based on capturing Ember and Sheila's loved ones. Ember wrinkled her nose at the bloody cavity in her hand, "Ugh. That's nasty."

Damon's electric blue eyes darkened with lust, "And that is so damn sexy."

"I'd rather not hear you two get horny over an organ," Elena's welcoming voice echoed in the room before a brunette bullet hurled her way and she dropped Frederick's heart onto the ground so that she could tightly embrace her other half with equal fervor. "Laney! Don't you _ever_ do that to me again! Why didn't you use your bracelet?"

Elena extricated herself to wrap her arms around a relieved Stefan, and as he peppered her forehead with tender kisses, she smiled bitterly at her twin, "My hands were tied. _Literally_! I couldn't reach it." The reunited grandmother and granddaughter approached them, allowing Ember to pull her best friend into a tight hug.

Ember decided to leave the carnage untouched, a menacing message for Anna, Pearl and the remaining tomb vampires that cowardly fled the premises. Arm in arm, Elena and Ember followed the others outside, however, just as they approached the cars, Ember hissed due to a burning sensation on her wrist.

"Em, what is it?" Elena inquired in concern.

"Caroline's calling me. She's in trouble," was the ominous response.

* * *

Pigheadedness was a familial trait. Not wanting to risk keeping Caroline waiting from whatever danger she had encountered, Ember was subdued into allowed her stubborn twin to apparate alongside her, too frantic over their bubbly, blonde best friend's wellbeing, despite the fact that her face was littered in ugly colorful bruises – nothing that a bruise balm couldn't cure in a jiffy.

"The woods?" Elena whispered in disbelief, her hand squeezing Ember's wrist so tight, she threatened to stop the blood circulation in her hand, "Nothing good ever happens to victims in horror stories at the woods!"

"Wake up, Laney. Our lives _are_ a horror story!" Ember reminded her, rolling her eyes.

Elena's smart retort was cut off by the sound of whimpering and violent sobs that distinctively sounded like- "CAROLINE!" the twins yelled out in distress. The redhead and the brunette made sure to hold hands as they ran toward Caroline's car, relief consuming them as they laid eyes on the tear-stained blonde whose clothes were covered in mud and her hair disheveled, though relatively unharmed.

"Em, El?" Caroline sniffled, prompting the twins to sit on either side of her, silently encouraging her for an explanation. "M-my car got stuck an-and I couldn't catch a signal on my phone. So I k-kept wandering around, hoping t-to ca-catch a signal to call a tow truck and I sl-slipped and f-fell down the bank of the-the r-river. I grabbed the cl-closest thing to me an-and I thought i-it was a-a tree br-branch bu-but it was-wasn't," she stammered, each word coated with tears and she looked to be in a hysterical state.

Elena rubbed the blonde's back in a soothing motion, "What was it Care?"

"A h-hand! Vicki D-Donovan's h-hand!" she hysterically cried out. Choosing to leave Caroline in Elena's embrace, Ember lit her wand and carefully ran toward the aforementioned river bank, eyes widening on the mummified corpse of vampire Vicki Donovan that the raging storm unearthed.

 _Damn it, Damon! He should have buried her deeper._

* * *

Knocking on the Potters front door, Ember looked a right mess as she patiently waited for her brother, despising the fact that he had no choice but to return with Leo and Cassie to her biological parents' place since Jeremy was placed under their responsibility. A few seconds later, the door swung open and James Potter blinked a couple of times in disbelief as he took in Ember's disheveled appearance; her crimson curls were knotted and drenched in water, her clothes and skin were marred with blood and mud, and her eyes were weary and haunted.

"Em-Ember? What happened to you?!" James hastened to inquire. Ember nodded stiffly and ignored his question, "I'm here for Jeremy."

At that moment, an immensely relieved Jeremy pulled her into a hug, the Brits standing behind them, all of them sporting wide eyes and slackened jaws as they took in the copious amount of blood decorating her clothes and hands. Jeremy's eyes bulged in a comical fashion as he finally inspected his older sister's grim appearance, "Is that… blood?"

Ember managed to flash him a cheeky smirk. "Blood of the enemy, wear it proudly," she sang before her expression turned solemn. "Jer, Elena and Bonnie are safe, we got them out, but… something happened," she bit her plump lower lip and a tear cascaded down her grimy cheek, "Vicki has been reported dead, Jer. Caroline stumbled across her body and she had no choice but to call it in. Wait in the car, I'm gonna take you to the Donovans."

Tears escaped Jeremy's eyelids and fell at a rapid pace, his heart clenching at the reminder of Vicki's fate; he knew all along that she was dead, but now that her death was made official to the public, it seemed more real. As Jeremy despairingly trudged over to her Mercedes, Ember flashed James and Lily Potter a stilted smile, "Thank you for watching Jeremy. My aunt is returning from campus tomorrow night and I didn't want to leave him alone."

"It was no trouble at all. Really. He's welcome anytime, both of you are," Lily smiled in a motherly fashion, hoping her estranged daughter would finally let her in. Her comment had the opposite effect; Ember glared at her coldly and didn't deem her with a verbal response, however, to the Brits sheer surprise, she smiled genuinely at Cassie and Leo, "Thank you. Leo, feel free to stop by anytime. Jeremy will need a friend." and without another word, she turned around and walked over to the Boarding House, just in time to catch Ben on his way out.

"You're leaving huh?"

Ben nodded sheepishly, tucking a hand in his pocket, "Yeah. Mrs. Bennett made me a daylight ring as a sign of appreciation for helping out. It's best I leave until Anna's out of the picture."

Ember surprised him by engulfing him in a friendly hug, "Don't be a stranger, you hear me. If you ever need help, or you want to return … Anna and Pearl won't be a threat much longer. I promise." Ben nodded, parting her with one last smile before he ran off into the night, basking in his newfound freedom.

"Should I be jealous?" Damon's humor knew no bounds.

Ember fondly rolled her eyes and allowed their lips to connect in a passionate kiss. "Nope. I'm expecting you to take me somewhere nice tomorrow, boyfriend," Ember grinned cheekily.

Damon pouted and molded her closer to his chest, "Stay the night."

"Uhh, don't tempt me," Ember kissed him chastely before stepping toward her car, ignoring the plethora of gazes burning into the back of her skull from the Brits. "I have to take Jeremy to the Donovans and give my condolences. Tomorrow though," she winked seductively.

Electric blues darkened with wanton lust, "I'll hold you to it. If you don't come… well, let's just say I'm _really_ good at climbing through windows."

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today had been a whirlwind of events, just one after another without pause._

 _When I heard that Elena had been taken by the tomb vampires, I felt like my world was being ripped into shreds. Bonnie, too. I cannot live in a world without my twin, my other half._

 _Not only did Elena and Bonnie get kidnapped and tortured by Frederick and his band of sickos, but Vicki Donovan's death is now official and… god, how am I supposed to look at Matt, knowing that my boyfriend is the reason for her death, and my sister's boyfriend/my friend, is the reason for her second death? How can Caroline, for that matter, continue to face her boyfriend, knowing the truth behind his sister's death? It's a nightmare!_

 _Adding on to my guilt, I killed an innocent today. I snuffed a life in cold blood and I didn't even hesitate or bat an eyelash._

 _Truth be told, I always knew that death was a part of my life – there's no escaping that. Not just as an auror, but in my regular day-to-day life. Entrenched in the supernatural, having a dark, psychopathic and homicidal wizard out for my blood and living in a town crawling with vampires, I follow a motto very seriously:_ _ **kill or be killed.**_

 _To survive, and not just me, but my loved ones, then we have to get used to death. We have to learn that in order to survive and see the next day then we cannot hesitate to kill those in our paths. Yes, I killed Miss Gibbons, an old lady who was already living gruesomely, used as a means to an end, her only purpose being feeding twenty-something hungry vampires and keeping unwanted vampires out of her house. I may have done her a favor, but… I killed her for own selfish reasons. Hypothetically, I could have freed her from her compulsions and sent her away, but… before or after Elena and Bonnie died?_

 _It was a trade; Miss Gibbons, or Elena and Bonnie. I chose selfishly and I will_ _ **always**_ _choose selfishly – that's the ugly truth and what mortifies me the most, is that I am_ _ **not**_ _ashamed of it; I feel absolutely no remorse. I would gladly strike down anybody in my path that dares to threaten me or my loved ones. I am a survivor, have been since the prophecy was foretold. I don't have time to feel guilt or to hesitate. If I have to become a killing machine to save my loved ones, then I would gladly carry that burden until my dying breath._

 _Maybe that makes me evil, or heartless, or cold-blooded. Frankly, I don't give a shit. My sins may amass, but I have no regrets._

 _There are still ten or maybe more tomb vampires remaining in Mystic Falls, excluding Anna and Pearl; they need to be efficiently dealt with, therefore, I called for reinforcements… my Uncle John._

 _I'm signing out for a much needed beauty sleep._

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Sheila Bennett – Jasmine Guy**_

 _ **Alaric Saltzman – Matthew Davies**_

 _ **Annabelle "Anna" Zhu – Malese Jow**_

 _ **Ben McKittrick – Sean Faris**_

 _ **Cassiopeia Black – Ashley Benson**_

 _ **Leo Black – Zac Efron**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

 _ **Frederick – Stephen Martines**_

 _ **Bethanne – Jeni Perillo**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **I hope this chapter was to your liking? XD**

 **(1)I enjoyed writing the battle at the farmhouse. DIVIDE AND CONQUER! I hope you enjoyed it. XD (2) References to Addams Family continues. I can't help but add in THING and THING as a comic relief. I'm not thinking of getting rid of them yet, LOL. (3) Okay, regarding Jeremy. I hated the fact that he never made any friends of** _ **his own**_ **. I mean, he dated his sister's best friend, he befriended Matt and Tyler, two boys his sister's age, and he hung around the Mystic Falls Gang, which comprises of Elena's friends and boyfriends. I mean, Jeremy needs some loving of his own; an outsider to confide in that knows of the supernatural as well. Therefore, I decided that since Leo is his age, why not befriend him? I mean, Violet Potter is also the same age, but she's a Potter so that wouldn't fit the story for now. What's your opinion regarding the Jeremy/Leo friendship? (4) Ben McKittrick… I couldn't help but give him a happy ending. Do you want him to be a recurring character? (5) Did you like Sheila Bennett's inclusion in the rescue squad/Mystic Falls Gang? Honestly, Sheila Bennett is badass, and I enjoyed adding her in. (6) Some of you may be confused about why the locator spell didn't work… I don't believe that Anna is** _ **entirely**_ **stupid. Anna and Pearl are nearly 600 year old vamps. They obviously have witches in their services (reference to a few chapters ago) and they must know how to take precautions to survive, so they had a witch shield them from locator spells. Right, right? LOL. (7) I don't know if any of my dear readers are impatient regarding Voldemort, Scabior, and the Wizarding World both in America and Britain, but they'll pop up from time to time. There's no rush, besides, I like adding suspense. So be patient. ;)**

 **R &R.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 19:**

Chocolate eyes collided with its reflection in the vanity before they meticulously perused the profile belonging to its face. Her olive complexion was unblemished, no longer an apparent advertisement of victimization, prompting those eyes to brighten in relief.

Although it has been five days since she and Bonnie were held hostage by a band of vengeful vampires with breathtaking anger issues, and although Ember had wasted no time in applying a liberal amount of bruise balm on her face, Elena's first course of action upon awakening every day since then, was to scrutinize her reflection to ensure that her nightmares were just that… nightmares, and that she wasn't still trapped in an oppressing basement with vindictive vampires circling her and her best friend. The lack of discoloration on her face anchored her to the present, and after a lot of Orlando-Bloom-therapy with Jenna, Ember, Caroline and sometimes a reluctant Jeremy who was depressed in regards to Vicki's death resurfacing, Elena was starting to feel like herself again. One thing the brunette hated was being rendered weak and becoming a damsel in distress, and with John's arrival looming closer, Elena was more motivated than ever to continue with her self-defense training, not wanting to find herself in another situation where she would be in need of rescuing.

Smiling genuinely at her mirror image, the brunette exuberantly grabbed her purse and perkily announced as she ambled down the hallway, "Come on Ember, Jeremy! Going to school! Walking through the hall now and down the stairs!" Jeremy's voice sounded muffled as he yanked open the bathroom door and hastily straightened his shirt, but before the two siblings could descend the staircase together, they clearly heard desperate scratching along the door from _inside_ Ember's room.

Trading a wary glance with a bemused Elena, Jeremy inched closer and softly knocked on Ember's door, "Ember?" The scratching picked up speed, the sound intensifying, and the siblings felt more wary. "Ember?" he echoed, and with no warning, abruptly twisted the knob, allowing the door to ominously swing open and give him full view of the room's interior.

At that moment, Elena appeared behind Jeremy, and in unison, their eyes bulged comically, jaws dropped and they simultaneously screamed their lungs out.

A few seconds later, Jenna's bloodcurdling scream joined in.

* * *

Sirius was proud of his children; it was no easy feat to abandon the lifestyle they knew their entire lives, in exchange for a wholly different one where everything had to be done the Muggle way. As the rebel of his family, Sirius elected to take Muggle Studies for the sole purpose of angering his ' _Dearest Mother_ ' and hoping one of her many conniption fits would end up with her dropping from cardiac arrest. With the Potters taking up the mantle as his surrogate parents, and with Remus being a half-blood, raised by his Muggle mother, Sirius found himself balancing his winter and summer holidays between Muggle Britain and Potter Manor. Then Lily entered their lives and finally gave James a chance during their seventh and final year at Hogwarts, and the feisty redhead made it her duty to educate them in the Muggle lifestyle.

The First War was oppressing and brutal and nobody knew who to trust. One couldn't cross the streets without looking over your shoulder. For that reason, escaping to Muggle Britain was like a breath of fresh air for the Marauders and their significant others. Many times, Sirius and Marlene would rendezvous there, and for that reason, when they joined the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore had most of their missions staked out amidst muggles. Therefore, when the decision to move to Mystic Falls and integrate themselves as muggles was made, they had an easier time adapting than their children, who were used to having everything done for them with a flick of their wands or the many house-elves.

Ron, Ginny and Hermione were sitting ducks in Britain without the Potters and the Blacks, and since they were underage, the Weasley patriarch and matriarch didn't need much cajoling from Dumbledore to allow them to move their lives to America, more than happy that their youngest son and daughter were far away from Voldemort's reign and the looming war. And while Sirius was glad Cassie and Leo would have familiar faces around in their daily lives, he had hoped they would branch out and make friends with the denizens of Mystic Falls. Leo befriending Jeremy Gilbert – his goddaughter's young brother – had Marlene over the moon with joy, not having seen the unlikely friendship in formation. A small selfish part of Sirius was glad for the advantage it presented, taking it as an opportunity to get closer to his estranged goddaughter, despite the fact that their houses were opposite to each other.

Leo's cellphone – which took weeks for him to figure out how to operate – suddenly beeped with a text, prompting Marlene to pause mid-chew and glare at her son in disapproval, "Leo. I've already chewed your sister out about this yesterday! _No cellphones during mealtimes_."

Grumbling, Leo pouted petulantly, but wilted under his mother's austere glare.

Ten minutes later, Marlene was cleaning up the table and teaching Cassie how to load the dishwasher the _muggle way_ ; Sirius was reading through the reports Amelia Bones – the current Minister of Magic who replaced that simpleton buffoon, Fudge – sent him regarding the suspicious decline of Death Eater activity, when Leo approached him, confusion palpable on his face. "Uh, Dad? Jeremy sent me a text… asking for you and if you could stop by ASAP… what's _ASAP_?"

"As Soon As Possible," Cassie derisively scoffed from the kitchen, as though it were obvious. Leo retorted by childishly sticking his tongue out at her, but the sibling banter went completely ignored as husband and wife's silver and azure eyes met across the room in askance.

Dropping Amelia's reports, Sirius grabbed his wand and wasted no time in crossing the road to the Gilberts. No sooner had he knocked courteously on the front door did it open, a frantic Jenna on the other side, relief shining through at the sight of him – something he never thought to be possible as the Gilberts treated the Blacks and the Potters with nothing but hostility since they moseyed into town. "Thank God, I was starting to think you weren't going to show up, not that I blame you, we haven't exactly been welcoming to you and your family, although in retrospect you can't exactly _blame us_ , but all the same, thank y-"

Sirius charmingly cut into Jenna's nervous rambling, a warm smile on his handsome face. "Ms. Sommers? Take a deep breath. _In_ … and out, that's it," he smiled as Jenna inhaled and exhaled rapidly, though her face still shone with consternation. "I'm sorry I couldn't come straight away. Marlene's been strict about no cellphones during mealtimes, so Leo just read Jeremy's message. What seems to be the problem?"

Jenna let out a hysterical chuckle as she closed the front door and gestured with her hand for him to accompany her up the stairs. While he was suddenly nervous about the reason behind the woman he always noted to be laidback and carefree's complete attitude transformation, Sirius couldn't help but admire the interior of the Gilberts' home, a pang hitting his heart in a mixture of grief and envy as he admired the plethora of picture frames adorning nearly every surface of Ember with her adoptive parents and family, and friends. It took him a second to realize that Jenna was speaking to him, her voice borderline hysterical, "…Elena and Jeremy were coming down for breakfast when they heard odd noises coming from Ember's room. I-I'm at a loss, I don't know what to do, and Greg is busy at the Magical Congress, I mean, _he's The_ _President_ , I can't just interrupt his day and-and, oh just see for yourself."

And without further ado, Jenna walked into the only room in the hallway that's door was already ajar. Jeremy was pacing the room nervously, a hand frantically running through his shaggy hair, while Elena sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed and jiggling nervously, her eyes boring into a pure white wol-… Sirius' breath hitched, finally comprehending why the Gilberts were all worked up.

"Ah, I see," Sirius smirked, amusement and pride palpable in his eyes. Slowly, Sirius crossed the room and knelt down on one knee so as not to scare her, and he smiled kindly, "Hello, Ember." The Arctic Wolf lifted her head up, allowing Sirius full view of the mesmerizing emerald gems that contrasted greatly with her pure white fur. She had an identifying mark on her neck in the shape of a lightning bolt, but other than the small scar, her entire body of fur was of the purest white, blindingly so. "I assume this is the first time you tried changing into your Animagus form?" Ember's lupine head bobbed up and down in affirmative, a low whine escaping from her muzzle. "And you are having problems changing back into your human form, am I correct?" a hint of amusement could be detected in his tone, recalling the time he and James went through the same dilemma during their youth. In response, Ember's lupine head settled onto the carpet, both paws covering her emerald orbs in a sheepish gesture that was very human.

Elena rubbed her eyes and tried to cover her coo, "Damn it! She's adorable! I never pictured a wolf to be-" Ember growled at her in warning before letting a very human-like scoff. Elena mockingly backed away, "Ease up, Cujo, no need to get your hackles up." Simultaneously, Ember growled again and Jenna reprimanded her, " _Elena_!"

Jeremy bit his lower lip to suppress his laughter, "Lena, I think it's too soon for dog jokes, besides she's a wolf."

Elena lost the battle with herself, the mood alleviating with Sirius's presence as they no longer feared their family member being stuck as a wolf forever, and she burst into laughter. A split second later, she was joined by Jeremy, prompting Jenna, who was struggling with her own laughter, to usher them out.

Sirius smiled fondly at their retreating backs before eyeing the affronted wolf with interest. The personal insight into the Gilberts' family dynamic was refreshing, and he finally understood why Ember wanted nothing to do with them, the Potters especially… she had her own family, and they had such unique interactions one wouldn't see among other families… they had a solid bond, an unbreakable one, and nobody could ever break them apart.

Sirius just hoped Ember could at least find it in her to be amicable with them, and allow them to be included in a small part of her life.

* * *

It was an _absolute_ nightmare.

Ember never expected to be in such a helpless situation!

There she was, freshening up for the last day of school before the weekend started, minding her own business upon hearing Elena go through the same pattern for the fifth day in a row to make certain that she was safe at home. She had settled herself comfortably on her bed in a lotus position and did her normal mediation routine, stabilizing her Occlumency barriers and fortifying her mind. Ember had been wrapping things up upon noticing that she was hitting the hour mark, when she spontaneously decided to practice becoming an Animagus, having been trying to accomplish the long and arduous process since her senior year at Ilvermorny.

The next thing Ember knew, she felt an out of body experience and ended up howling on all fours.

"You're a beauty you know?" Sirius Black's voice interrupted her internal reprimand, and she cocked her head to the side in query, having lost her ability to speak in her current predicament. Intense silver eyes scrutinized her before they sparked in recognition. "You haven't seen your reflection yet." And without much prompting, Ember followed him to her full length mirror, her muzzle dropping in a comical fashion at the sight that met her eyes.

Not to sound vain, but she was _gorgeous_! A pure white Arctic Wolf; her emerald eyes contrasted greatly with her pure white sheen and the only blemish marring her beautiful white coat, was the small lightning bolt shaped scar that was oddly gray in color. In all honesty, Ember never expected that her Animagus form would be lupine; she had been thinking along the lines of a bird, since she loved flying and was a very independent person; or maybe even a Golden Retriever due to her loyalty to the core. Shaking her head, she tore her gaze from the mirror and stared questionably at Sirius, ignoring the feeling of butterflies in her tummy upon noticing the pride, love and fondness on his devastatingly gorgeous features.

Sirius sat cross-legged in front of her and began instructing her on the process of changing back. "Close your eyes. Delve deep within your mind and try to grasp the sensation of your human form. The feel of your hand brushing against your skin… imagine your human form and will yourself to turn back. Let your core guide you." Ten minutes later, Sirius noticed her white fur was rippling, and in an excruciatingly slow motion, the Arctic Wolf transformed back into Ember Gilbert.

"Wooh! That was a rush!" a slightly flushed Ember breathed out, innocently touching her arms and legs and stomach, seeking confirmation that she didn't lose any important body parts in the process, "I won't be having fleas, will I?"

Sirius let out his trademark bark-like laughter, "No, you've nothing to worry about. My Animagus form is a canine, so I've firsthand experience." That caught her attention, and forgetting the animosity or any hostility she usually associated with the Brits, Ember regarded him with awe, "Wait, what? You're an Animagus?"

"Mmhmm. I accomplished my transformation when I was fifteen," he simply revealed, but when he noticed Ember was greedily devouring every word he said, Sirius selfishly decided to prolong the rare opportunity and try to bond with his estranged goddaughter. "During my first year at Hogwarts, I immediately found friendship in my three roommates. Now James, _Pettigrew_ -" he spat the name as though it were vermin – something Ember wholeheartedly was in agreement of, having heard of the cowardly man that signed her death warrant, and who escaped Azkaban a few years back, "-and I couldn't help but wonder that Remus always had some excuse once a month of why he was missing from the dorms-"

"Woah, sorry to interrupt… Remus? You don't mean _Remus Lupin_ , do you?"

Vehemently taken aback, Sirius examined her for a moment, "How did you know?"

"He's sort of a legend at Ilvermorny," Ember informed him with relish. "Unlike England and Scotland, America is _very_ accepting of werewolves and all sorts of non-humans and half-humans. In my History of Magic class, my professor gave us a lecture about the history of werewolves, mostly an encyclopedia to Fenrir Greyback and the appalling laws of Wizarding Britain in regards to werewolves. Lupin was vaguely mentioned as the rare, humane werewolf from Britain that attended Hogwarts and kept his morals. We actually had a debate in class about those suffering lycanthropy from the British wizarding community… if one keeps treating another as though they're animals, then sooner or later, the person will have no choice but to _become_ the animal they're believed to be. Your backward community has a history of treating werewolves as though they're rabid animals, and in the end, they mutinied and became the dangerous predators they were all deflamed to be. Lupin was the only exception so he's kind of an inspiration to the werewolf community."

Sirius was rendered speechless; he never looked at the werewolf issue in that subjective. The fact that other wizarding communities respected Moony touched him, and he couldn't wait for the next Order meeting… Remus needed to hear this, maybe even move out of Britain indefinitely and into a more welcoming and accepting community.

Ember shrewdly scrutinized him, "So… you were saying?"

"Yes, well," Sirius cleared his throat and returned to recounting his tale, "When we discovered Remus was a werewolf in our second year, naturally, he expected us to fear and hate him, but instead we started searching for a way to keep him company, and make the full moons easier on him. This was all before the creation of the Wolfsbane Potion, so the transformations for him were painful and lonely. With a purpose, we religiously started researching and came to the conclusion that while werewolves were a danger to humans, their bite cannot infect animals, so we started the process of becoming Animagi and on our fifth year we achieved our goal. Since then, every full moon, till this day, we keep Remus company… well, excluding Pettigrew," he bitterly added.

Ember smiled and simply stated, "You're a true friend."

The dashing wizard smiled sadly in response, sensing that the moment he had been impatiently waiting for had come to an end, and he reluctantly lifted himself from the ground. As Ember went to escort him out of her room and down the hallway, she stopped him, uncertainty evident on her face, mixed with gratitude, "Mr. Bl-, _Sirius_ … thank you. Thanks for helping me out and, I know this doesn't magically make things better, but… Cassie told me you and Mrs. Black had nothing to do with my abandonment, so… I guess I'm offering an olive branch?" It was left as a statement, but sounded more like a question, and as emerald orbs took in the hope rekindling in his eyes, she knew that she had come to the right decision, "I'll try and be more… amicable to you and your family. At least, my hatred towards you dissipated completely."

"I'd like that very much, Ember. Thank you for giving me… for giving _us_ , a chance. Marlene and I truly dreamed of this day," Sirius breathed out.

Jenna, Elena and Jeremy were all congregated in the living room, all three of them relieved at the sight of Ember and not a wolf, and they shot Sirius a grateful smile. No sooner had Sirius made his way to a worried and shamelessly curious Marlene, who had chosen to wait for him by the front porch, did an exuberant squeal of " _UNCLE JOHN_ " resonate from behind him. A red bullet collided into the open arms of a handsome man with sandy blonde hair and sparkling sapphire eyes, his hearty chuckles echoing around them as he hugged Ember back fervently and spun her around.

* * *

No sooner had John stepped over the threshold, did Jenna bitterly speak up, "John, you made it."

Still latched onto John like a limpet, Ember shot her a look that was half-pleading and half-glaring for her to behave. While Jenna had certain feelings of animosity towards John Gilbert due to their short relationship back in their teenage days, she no longer hated the man with every fiber of her being; her hatred had declined into resentment and bitterness after Miranda married Grayson, knowing that John would be a stable figure in her life. Years later, after noticing the close bond between her redheaded niece and her ex-boyfriend, Jenna learned to be more courteous with the man and over a decade later, Jenna's hatred of John was a mere shadow, like a small blip, and she simply tolerated him for the sake of family. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't get on her nerves at times, but at the present time, their quarrelling could be described as trying to keep up with former traditions, and if Jenna and John were to be honest with themselves, they enjoyed baiting each other too much for it to stop completely.

John smirked knowingly, absently rubbing Ember's back in a soothing motion, "I said I'll be here before noon."

Jenna couldn't help it, she really couldn't; John purposely made it too easy for her. "Oh what you say and what you do are typically two _very_ different things," she taunted, a note of amusement in her tone. Ember rolled her eyes as she abandoned her position in John's arms in favor of pouring coffee into her favorite ceramic mug, having missed her morning caffeine due to the morning's excitement. "Behave children. God, you two are worse than me, Laney and Jer put together," she good-naturedly pointed out.

Laughing jovially at his favorite niece – after all, Ember was technically his _only_ niece, not that anybody knew that – John alternated his attention to Elena, who stood unsurely by Jenna's side. Without preamble, John took two large steps toward her and softly cupped her face in his hands, tilting her head to the side so that he could have a better look at her profile, "I heard what happened. I see the bruise balm worked wonders. Are you okay?" he asked, genuine worriment in his tone, and anger simmering in his expressive sapphire eyes.

Elena swallowed the lump from her throat at the rare paternal show of affection John was currently exuding. Unlike her twin and even Jeremy, John and Elena never got along as splendidly; for Elena, growing up, treating John as her uncle was more of a chore, but after witnessing how much her actions negatively affected her other half, Elena slowly started to make more of an effort, Ember's happiness becoming her motivating factor. When they turned thirteen, John was adamant that they should learn martial arts and self-defense, and her parents wholeheartedly agreed. Therefore, Elena was forced into spending more time with the uncle she alienated, and as the years trickled by, she accepted John easily and they settled into a harmonious uncle-niece relationship. But Elena wasn't blind, she noticed that John had an easier time displaying his emotions and tender affection to her twin and brother, almost like it was second nature to him, but with Elena, he was more awkward and distant – although, in retrospect, she only had herself to blame for keeping him at arm's length. However, with her parents' death, and her recent kidnapping and abuse at the hands of Frederick and Bethanne, the rare show of affection was welcoming and Elena couldn't find it in herself to act aloof with John.

"I'm fine," seeing John's disbelief, Elena stressed, " _Really_. I'm better now, nothing too much family exposure couldn't cure," she chuckled dryly, prompting a small smile out of John as he drew her in for a tight hug before he released her and clapped Jeremy on the back.

After hearing from Ember and Jenna that Elena along with Bonnie Bennett, had been kidnapped by the tomb vampires, his blood boiled and his vessels nearly exploded at the sheer rage. He immediately began scheming of ways to rid Mystic Falls from the tomb vampires and put his efforts in finding a loophole concerning the Sun and Moon Curse on pause for the meantime, the tomb vampires a more pressing matter.

"So," John drawled, sapphire orbs blazing intensely at Ember and Elena, "What's this I hear about the two of you _each_ dating a Salvatore brother?" Naturally, John was no longer biased when it came to vampires after Ember's witch status came to light and was introduced to the many supernatural aspects by Gregory Bane, but it didn't mean he had to like the fact that his niece and daughter were both involved with the accursed Salvatores. Out of all vampires, those two weren't exactly his favorites, especially since Damon's obsession with Katherine endangered Mystic Falls and put Elena's kidnapping into motion.

Elena snorted softly and joined her twin by the kitchen island to refill her mug with coffee, an amused Jeremy not far behind. Ember, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and leveled John with a ' _don't you start_ ' look, "I thought you got over your prejudice a long time ago, Uncle John."

"I did," John defended himself while still managing to shoot a chuckling Jenna down with a glare of disapproval for allowing the girls to pursue their vampire lovers, "But I'm not exactly a fan of the Salvatores. Stefan targeted the founding families over a century ago in an act of vengeance, and Damon's obsession with Katherine endangered the town, which allowed your sister to get targeted in the first place!"

Simultaneously, all four of them spoke up at the same time, bombarding John with questions.

"Wait, _you know_ about Katherine?" Elena gasped.

"What do you mean Stefan attacked the founding families?" Ember demanded in shock.

"And you're sharing this with us now?" Jenna snapped, crossing her arms together in irritation; and lastly, Jeremy inquired, "What else are you keeping from us?"

Rubbing his temples in response to the onslaught of questions, John let out a sigh of defeat, "First of all, if you bothered reading the journals your ancestors' hoarded, you'd know about Stefan's previous desire for revenge. Second, yes Elena, I know about Katherine, as to how? Now is not the time. I'm trying to solve things out from my end and when it's safe, I'll include you all in everything I know. As for why I'm sharing this now, Jenna, I've been busy. Now," he clapped his hands together loudly, prompting the other four to jump in their spots and for Ember to haphazardly spill her coffee onto the counter, which resulted in her glaring at her uncle, "In due time, I _promise_ I'll tell you everything and answer all your questions, preferably _after_ tonight's Founder's Anniversary Kick-off party, you just have to be patient, and in the meantime, shouldn't the three of you be in school, like, I don't know, two hours ago?"

All irritation towards John abated as Jenna, Elena and Jeremy shot a sheepish Ember with varying looks of amusement.

" _Well_?" John inquired impatiently.

"It's kind of a funny story…"and Ember proceeded to enlighten John of the exciting events that took place that morning, not amused in the slightest over the fact that John doubled up in laughter at her expense. Ember stormed into her room, mumbling colorfully under her breath about traitorous family members, slamming the door shut and sequentially placing a silencing spell to block out the combined laughter of her family.

* * *

While Damon and Stefan were over one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old, and predators that people feared, the brothers couldn't help but quail under John Gilbert's piercing glare, as he stared the both of them down in a nerve-racking silence.

That afternoon at the Founder's Hall, John happened to make an appearance at the council reunion to discuss why there were no results regarding the plethora of 'animal attacks'. Mayor Lockwood had been ecstatic regarding John's arrival; Sheriff Forbes on the other hand, was anything _but_. To make matters worse for Damon, John blew into the meeting like a tornado and revealed the little – apparently not so little – secret about the tomb underneath Fell's Church, and that all the vampires had somehow been liberated and had spread themselves around town looking for revenge against the Founding Families. John being an unknown player, Damon would have allowed his impulsive nature to surface and snapped his damn neck before he could even think about exposing him and Stefan; however, John merely quirked an eyebrow at him towards the end of the meeting and left without a word, keeping his true identity a secret from the other councilmembers, much to Damon's relief and confusion.

Stefan warned Damon not to act upon his impulses, because, as it turns out, Ember is more than a little fond of her uncle, and he was pretty sure murdering her uncle would be a definite relationship breaker. So here he stood, all dressed up in a suit with Stefan, waiting for their respective dates to descend the staircase, alternating their attention from an irate John Gilbert, to a relaxed Jenna and a shamelessly amused Alaric, the couple no doubt enjoying the tension in the air, as well as the two deadly vampires' discomfort in the face of a mere human.

"So," John finally uttered, his calm tone bellying the glare they were both on the receiving end of, "What are your intentions regarding my nieces?" and not giving them a moment to formulate a response, he continued, "For the sake of your continued existence, and for your identities to remain a secret within the council, Stefan, you better not be dating Elena due to her uncanny resemblance of Katherine, and Damon," he snapped, disregarding their flabbergasted expressions, "You better not be using Ember to get over your obsession with Katherine. … Well? I'm waiting," he demanded in a no nonsense tone.

Damon adopted a menacing expression, "How do you know about Katherine?!"

"How do I know anything Damon," John calmly retorted, his posture the perfect picture of nonchalance. Stefan knew it was time to interfere before Damon did something that he would later come to regret – _again_! Placing a hand on Damon's shoulder, Stefan confronted John, "I love Elena. She's nothing like Katherine. I promise you, Mr. Gilbert, from the moment I caught a glimpse of her after the accident by Wickery Bridge, I felt like I _had_ _to know her_ , and the more time I spent with her, the more I realize how kind and compassionate and truly stunning she is. When I look at Elena, I only see _Elena_ , nobody else."

John's expression softened, recalling the tale Ember relayed to him that afternoon regarding Stefan Salvatore being the one that saved Elena from dying alongside Grayson and Miranda; he saved his daughter's life and went as far as to return to the submerged car in the hopes of saving his brother and sister-in-law; a selfless act, and a redeeming one in his eyes. Nodding, John offered his hand to shake, an action that Stefan gladly accepted, "Thank you. For saving Elena's life. Jenna's been lenient with you, I however am I different story. While I accept your relationship with Elena for now, the second you harm her, in _any way_ , all bets are off."

"If I ever hurt Elena, I'll gladly accept what I deserve," Stefan humbly responded, prompting an impressed expression from John, a fond smile from Jenna, and an aggravated eye roll from Damon. However, before John could once again, demand what Damon's intentions are with Ember, the aforementioned redhead's voice echoed in the room, sounding strangled, "Uncle John? Whe-where did you get that ring from?"

Dressed to the nines in an ostentatious golden ball gown, her crimson hair intricately curled and styled into a flowery hairdo with texture and a messy finish, Ember stood in front of them, her wide emeralds, accentuated by gold eyeshadow and black smoky eyeliner, fearfully regarding the gaudy ring on John's hand; Elena remained hovering behind Ember, her expression bewildered. At Ember's words, all eyes flickered to the ring which looked awfully familiar…

"How did you get that ring?" Alaric whispered, finally entering the fray and including himself in the conversation.

John, for the first time in his life, felt nervous at being put under the spotlight, he regarded them all with uncertainty, until he met the terrified emeralds and confused chocolates of Ember and Elena, and decided it was time to come clean, or at least, share a few details. Flexing the hand adorned with the ring, he finally divulged a few truths, "I had inherited one, my brother Gray had the other one. This was his," he showed the ring to them, Ember's violent flinch not going unnoticed by him, and he decided to mull it over after the party, "And I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel if I had known she'd hand it over to another guy."

Elena sucked in a sharp intake of breath, and John ignored Alaric and Damon's questions in favor of meeting her gaze squarely. "You-you knew Isobel? _How_?"

Sorrow filled John's features, "That's a story for another time-"

"I have the right to know, John! She's my biological mother," Elena snapped. John nodded briskly, "You do. You have _every_ right, and I'll tell you everything, any questions you may have, I'll answer them all, I promise, but after the party." Elena glared at John for a minute longer before nodding in consent. "However, I will tell you this, I was the one that sent her your way Damon, when she wanted to become a vampire."

Damon gaped at the man before abrasively blurting out, " _You sent her_?" His question corresponding with Elena's shocked, " _Why_?"

But John merely beckoned for Jeremy to follow him, and both left to the party, leaving the three couples behind to arrive with their dates in their respective cars.

* * *

"Ember? You look fantastic," James complimented her in awe; the party was in full swing, and the Potters and Blacks found themselves in their element, too used to the many Ministry Balls and Galas, and the summer and winter solstice soirées that pureblood families annually threw.

Before Ember could send him, Lily, Harold and Violet some snarky response to leave her alone for the umpteenth time, John materialized beside her, a roguishly charming smile on his handsome face accompanied by a warning glint in his sapphire eyes. "I don't believe we've met yet. John Gilbert, Ember's uncle, that's her _father's_ brother, if you were wondering. I know who you are, no need for pointless introductions," John cut James off before he had a chance to utter a word and Ember tried in vain to repress her shit-eating grin; John always had a knack for putting people in their place, as well as being charming and an ass with astounding effortlessness, that nobody knew what to make out of him. "James and Lily Potter. Yes, I know all about you. Richard, or to you, Mayor Lockwood, already informed me about the time when my niece was lying vulnerable in the hospital and all of you, along with Mr. Dumbledore, tried to force your way in to see her. So let me make myself crystal clear. Biologically, you may be her parents, but you are and _will never be_ her mother and father! I make it a point to remain updated in everything that goes on in my family's lives, and let me make myself _abundantly clear_ , unless my niece is up for a confrontation, you will remain _far away_ from her. President of MACUSA, Gregory Bane is a _very_ close friend, almost family, and I will not hesitate to inform him of your underhanded actions. Mark my words, I may not have magic, but I make a _formidable_ enemy."

"Please," Lily interjected before James' temper could get the best of him and make a scene to the mass of Mystic Falls, "We regret our reckless actions seventeen years ago, we just want a chance to make things right, to get to know Ro- Ember. We just want a chance."

John remained unimpressed as he stoically looked down at her with deep loathing, "You lost that chance the minute you heartlessly made the decision to _abandon_ Ember on the doorsteps of a run-down orphanage, _without_ a name, _without_ a date of birth, while she was _wounded_ and _bleeding_ on a _cold_ November night. A night broadcasted to _rain_! So pardon me, if I don't feel comfortable with you bunch in close proximity of my niece. I won't repeat myself again, Mrs. Potter. Stay. _Away_. From Ember!"

Not sparing the spluttering Potters another glance, John whisked Ember off into the middle of the dance floor and initiated a dance. After an uncomfortable minute of silence, John sighed, "I'm sorry Ember. Believe me, I hate keeping secrets from you, from all of you. But you most of all, know how imperative it is at times to keep secrets from your loved ones, despite how much you hate to do so."

Ember bowed her head, feeling mildly chastised, even though John sounded understanding. "Ugh, I'm sorry, Uncle John. I'm being a hypocrite, aren't I? It's just… after I confided in Jenna, Elena and Jeremy about Voldemort still after my blood, I realized that we're stronger united, as a family."

"And we are," John conceded, no hesitation in his voice whatsoever. "Who do you think originally came up with the family motto?" he asked, a teasing quality in his tone, prompting Ember's face to brighten, all tension gone. "Your grandfather practically ingrained 'family always comes first' in mine and Gray's heads. _But_ , _I_ am the adult here, and sometimes you have to leave the problems to the adults. Jenna may be your guardian, but I was personally enlisted by your parents to protect all of you, _including_ Jenna. So please, allow me to carry the burden for a while."

"Fine, fine, you win," Ember grinned.

Two dances later, Ember was swept off her feet by Richard Lockwood and by Jeremy before she was finally allowed one-on-one time with Damon, who wasted no time to start grumbling about her uncle mid-dance, "I don't trust him, Ember. _He's up to something_! I say, we go up to him and-"

"Woah, woah, _woah_! Hold it right there, Damon!" Ember snapped, glaring ferociously at her boyfriend, and yanking her hands from his grip, effectively halting their dance, "This isn't some conspiracy theory! There's no ' _we_ ' here. Uncle John isn't the enemy! _You_ may not trust him, but _I do_! And you shouldn't talk! Uncle John could've exposed you to the council, but he _didn't_. He isn't the same vampire hunter he was a decade ago. He's changed! He doesn't see things in black and white anymore. Because of me, he's learned to accept the fact that there are _many_ shades of gray. He's accepted you in my life, despite the fact that _he_ doesn't trust _you_ , because while Stefan told my uncle his true intentions regarding Elena, you _never_ did! You didn't even bother! So, color me suspicious!"

Dumbfounded, electric blue eyes widened in shock and Damon went to grab ahold of her to try and appease her, "Ember-"

" _Fuck off_!" she hissed back, a sneer palpable on her face, "Come talk to me when you aren't plotting behind my uncle's back and when you're ready to give him an answer regarding your true feelings for me, 'cause lemme tell you something, Damon Salvatore; you're my boyfriend, and I'm beginning to develop strong feelings towards you, but if my uncle can't accept you, then I can't be with you. You wanna know why? Because I respect my uncle and I trust his instincts." And without a backward glance, Ember stalked away from him, a metaphorical thundercloud looming over her head.

"What just happened?" Damon rhetorically mumbled to himself.

Alaric and Stefan, both of whom had been making their way to the bar to get drinks for their respective girlfriends, shook their heads in unison and Alaric offered, "Word of advice Damon, you've got a lot of sucking up to do. With Ember's father gone, John took up the mantle as the parental figure in her life. So swallow your pride, man up and convince John that you'd never hurt his niece."

Stefan smiled grimly at him, "What he said," before he too, walked away.

* * *

"What's got your Aerie's in a twist?" Caroline's bubbly voice inquired; Elena had just finished telling her about Ember's eventful morning, when the redhead stormed into their line of vision, and the blonde and brunette wasted no time in joining her side, both of them sporting identical expressions of concern.

The redhead's plump lips quirked into a weak attempt of a smile as she attempted to retort with a one-liner of her own, "Actually, I'm wearing Victoria's Secret, Care."

Sharing a conspiratorial look with Caroline, Elena rolled her eyes, "Your attempt at humor won't make us give up. Stop avoiding the subject and spit it out."

"Damon's just so-, so-, he's just _so_ … _infuriating_!" Ember spat out. Caroline quirked an eyebrow, "We already knew that, Em. And you did too when you agreed to go out with him. So what's _really_ bothering you."

Hating how much the blonde knew her, Ember pouted indignantly and allowed them both to link their arms with both of hers as they aimlessly wandered around the lavish ballroom, "I get really protective of my loved ones, and Damon was shooting his mouth off about Uncle John and not trusting him. I mean, Damon's hotheaded, rash and impulsive, and I'm terrified he'll just act on stupidity and hurt Uncle John. And then there's _that ring_! Don't get me started on it. It gives me the heebie jeebies, you guys."

Caroline looked deeply confused at the non sequitur. Elena however, too used to Ember's fondness for jumping from subject to subject at bouts of randomness, was quickly up to speed, "I don't get what your aversion is to those rings, Em. I mean, they protect Ric and John. Without them, if any supernatural being kills them, then they _stay dead_. You of all people should appreciate the spellwork behind those rings… and besides, they're Gilbert Heirlooms."

"That doesn't make it alright, Laney," Ember sighed, mostly frustrated because she herself couldn't make sense of the sinister feelings she got whenever she was in close proximity to those rings. "I don't know how to explain it you two, but all I _do know_ , is that those rings are anything _but_ good. While they may have their advantages, I have a feeling it won't be beneficial in the long run. There's something sinister at play here, whenever I'm near those rings, this… this dark and ominous aura radiates from it, and my magic reacts badly. I'm not comfortable with Uncle John wearing it," she bit her lower lip in consternation. Before Elena or Caroline could come up with an appropriate response, sounds of a kerfuffle echoed around them and the three girls found themselves gaping at Tyler, who was punching the living daylights out of an incensed Matt while Kelly Donovan stood a few feet away, crying hysterically.

"What-" Ember gasped.

"-the-" Elena automatically gulped out.

"- _Hell_!" Caroline shrieked, itching to get Tyler off of her boyfriend. Thankfully, John, Stefan, Damon and Richard arrived at a timely fashion and put an end to the vicious brawl. Sparing her best friends a small wave goodbye, Caroline ran after the Donovans and the twins knew that they would be updated in record speed by the blonde the next day regarding the unusual phenomenon.

Once a furious Richard dragged his son away, John beckoned them over, "Come on, it's getting late. I'm driving." Nodding in acquiescence, Elena passionately kissed Stefan goodbye, but before Damon could approach Ember, the redhead glared at him to stay away and stormed after her uncle, gladly accepting his comforting hug. Elena sighed sadly at their retreating backs; she hated it when her twin was upset, she already spent too much time cheering Ember up during the catastrophic Tyler days after the many times he cheated on her, and she wasn't about to let her re-experience those days with Damon.

Releasing herself from Stefan's embrace, Elena marched over to Damon and poked his chest with her finger. "Whatever you did to make my twin upset, _fix it_ ," she hissed, "John means the world to Ember, she idolizes him! So if you truly have feelings for her and want to keep her in your life, then stop being a cynical bastard and apologize to her. And while you're at it, it wouldn't hurt to suck up to John either 'cause if you don't get John Gilbert's stamp of approval, your chances of making up with Ember are nonexistent."

* * *

It was an unspoken agreement that after the Founder's 150th Anniversary Party, they would all congregate in the living room and get answers like John promised, or at least, the questions regarding Isobel.

Ember and Elena shed their expensive gowns off and donned their comfy pajamas and fluffy slippers before linking their arms together and joining John, Jenna and Jeremy in the living room. Clearing her throat, Elena decided to get the ball rolling, "So… you know Isobel. How? And _why_ did you help her become a vampire?"

John didn't want to have this conversation; deep inside, anything related to Elena, he knew he was a coward, but she was seventeen-years-old, and she deserved to know. It was unfair to keep her in the dark about her parentage any longer. "How? That's easy… I met her when I was a teenager. And I fell in love with her instantly, although," here he chuckled bitterly, the sound causing Ember's stomach to churn unpleasantly, "I'm pretty sure she never loved me. But she-she was special. After I confided in her about vampires, it-it sparked an interest in her, and it was one of the greatest mistakes I've ever done to date. She dictated her life to paranormal research, and attended Duke where she studied folklore and parapsychology. She was, she was obsessed," John huffed out, "And it ruined her. She told me she wanted to confront a vampire so she could learn more, but believe me, I never would have sent her to Damon had I known she wanted to turn… part of the reason why I can't stomach the sight of him. It's my fault and for that, I'm sorry Elena."

Jenna, Jeremy and Ember remained faithfully silent as John spilled his guts out and Elena processed the insight into her biological mother's life. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known," Elena adamantly informed him, prompting a weak smile out of John. "Do you have any idea who my father i…"Elena's voice drifted off all of a sudden, her words halted by the sudden loud gasp she expelled, "It's you, isn't it? _You're_ my father."

In response, John stubbornly stared at the palm of his hands.

"Holy shit," Ember cussed, ignoring Jenna's weak reprimand of " _language_ ", "Our lives are like an episode of Days of Our Lives."

"Or Bold and the Beautiful," Jenna faintly pointed out, trying a shot at some levity despite the grim situation. Miranda may have confided in her about Elena's adoption status, but John – her ex-boyfriend, irritating Uncle John Gilbert, her brother-in-law's younger brother _John_ _Gilbert_ – being the father? Now _that_ had been conveniently left out, and she did _not_ see that coming. _At all_!

"John!" Elena snapped, staring beseechingly at the man who had yet to deem her with any form of response, " _Are_ _you_ my father?"

"Yes," John admitted

* * *

The farmhouse that had been filled to the brim with twenty-seven vampires was now reduced to three. Harper was too loyal to Pearl, who had personally sired him, and he couldn't bear the thought of leaving her side. Pearl and Anna however, when they returned five days ago to a bloody massacre, they found out that the remaining vampires fled for their lives, scattered all over town in hiding while scheming a plan for revenge.

Although most of them learned the lesson the hard way that the Gilberts and the Bennetts were off-limits, mother and daughter had yet to, and they were currently frothing at the mouth, plotting their own form of vengeance to dole out personally. And while Pearl lacked two important limbs, Anna, had not been living under a rock since 1864, and the reason why five days of inaction had gone by, was because Anna had taken her mother to Seattle, where she compelled an Orthopedic Surgeon to assemble prosthetic hands for Pearl, free of charge.

The entire process took three days and now, Pearl and Anna were back in Mystic Falls, back with a vendetta.

"What's the plan, Mom?" Anna inquired, black orbs shining with glee at the mere idea of spilling Ember Gilbert's blood.

Pearl responded with a devious expression that didn't bode well for anyone, "Ember Gilbert will suffer before she dies. And the best form of torture, is by knowing where to hurt her the most… her weakness… which so happens to be those her heart beats for. Tomorrow I am going to make a little stop at my Apothecary."

Anna frowned in confusion, "But it's property owned by the Gilberts now."

"Exactly," Pearl smirked, a manic glint in her eyes.

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **John Gilbert – David Anders**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Marlene Black – Blake Lively**_

 _ **Cassiopeia Black – Ashley Benson**_

 _ **Leo Black – Zac Efron**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Alaric Saltzman – Matthew Davis**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Tyler Lockwood – Michael Trevino**_

 _ **Matt Donovan – Zach Roerig**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

 _ **Richard Lockwood – Robert Pralgo**_

 _ **Annabelle "Anna" Zhu – Malese Jow**_

 _ **Pearl Zhu – Kelly Hu**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **Hey! It's been a while! I hope this chapter was to your liking. XD**

 **(1) A lot of Gilbert fluff… I hope you liked it! (2) With Ember adopted into this story, Uncle John and the events surrounding him happened and will continue to happen differently… such as, not everyone hates him, especially Elena and Jenna. Elena found out about him being her father earlier, and no… Damon didn't dare to snap his neck. (3) Did you like the Ember/Sirius bonding? What about protective John in the face of the James and Lily Potter?! XD (4) How did you like Ember's Animagus form? Can anyone guess** _ **why**_ **she's an Arctic Wolf in particular? I will be highlighting that topic next chapter. (5) Amelia Bones never died and she became the Minister NOT Rufus. BTW, Amelia will show up in my story… currently she is a potential ally. You like? (6) So… Ember is burying the hatchet with the Blacks… I mean, abandoning Ember was all James, Lily and Dumbledore, poor Sirius and Marlene had nothing to do with it. (7) While some of my readers have been asking me about Magical Britain, it will be a recurring plot theme during Season 2 of TVD so be patient. && while there were no Bennetts in this chapter, I promise they will make an appearance in the next chapter. (8) And no… I didn't forget about Pearl and Anna… the ending of this chapter is a foreshadowing for the next one… did you all get the hint of what Pearl's plan is? ;) **

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Can't wait to read your thoughts! XD**

 **Oh, and BTW, just for fun… for those who don't mind at all and had their own personal thoughts on that matter… what did you think Ember's Animagus form would be & in your opinion, what animal suits her the most? **

**R &R.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 20:**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Wow… it's been nearly a week since my last entry, and I can understand what Mom meant._

 _Writing my thoughts and all that jazz really_ _ **is**_ _therapeutic (Huh, who knew?). Days without having my feelings put from pen to paper jumbled everything up in my brain. While my morning routine (that I_ _ **religiously**_ _stick to)_ of _meditation and Occlumency is a huge help, this Diary is truly conducive in regards to my spiritual health and wellbeing… it helps me heal and organize my thoughts in a different perspective._

 _Huh. Looks like Mom is teaching me things from beyond the grave, and ain't that something._

 _Cliff-notes version: Turns out_ _ **Uncle John**_ _is Elena's_ _ **biological**_ _ **father**_ _… Nobody saw that coming… It's like the adaptation of Bold and the Beautiful, Mystic-Falls-Style, centering around the Gilbert Family instead of the Forrester Family! God… thinking about it just gives me a migraine._

 _That bomb blew up three days ago after the Anniversary Kick-Off Party, and since then, Uncle John's been walking on eggshells around the house, while Elena's chosen to ignore the giant elephant in the room, which… while it works out well for Uncle John and Elena, both of whom aren't prepared to have a heart-to-heart yet, it's been torture for Jenna, Jeremy, and I, 'cause the tension in the house could be cut with a freaking butter knife! And I_ _ **hate**_ _living under tension._

 _Yeah, I am a Trainee Auror, trained to deal splendidly under pressure (duh! All Aurors have to have that certain skill), but when I'm at home, surrounded by family, the unease makes my skin crawl._

 _ **Family always comes first!**_ _That's the damn motto! But apparently two important members of this family are more than happy to throw it out the window. If this goes on any longer, Jenna, Jeremy and I will have no choice but to throw a Family Intervention and force them to deal with their issues!_

 _To add more stress to my person… Damon and I aren't faring so well after John's arrival._

 _I am a very confident person, and the only time I felt inferior or not good enough (other than when I found out I was adopted – but that didn't last long and I felt like a_ _ **complete**_ _idiot afterward) was during my Tyler days… I mean, how was I supposed to feel good enough when my boyfriend of_ _ **four**_ _years constantly cheated on me and went through the girls in Mystic Falls High like they were Tic-Tacs? … And now, my confidence is swaying_ _ **again**_ _. How can it not? When my boyfriend can't swallow down his pride and man the fuck up, go to Uncle John and pledge his true feelings toward me?_

 _Stefan did… and boy do I sound like a jealous bitch right now. But no._ _ **Seriously**_ _! Stefan loves Elena; he loves my twin so damn much, that he didn't even hesitate to declare his true intentions to Uncle John. So what's the hold up with Damon? Why can't he just spit it out and get it over with? ... And there's the kicker:_ _ **Is it because he doesn't actually love me? Is he just using me to get over Katherine?**_

 _Don't get me wrong… I am_ _ **not**_ _in love with Damon… at least not yet. It's too soon for all that undying love, fairytale crap. But I know that in time, I can fall for him. Behind all that arrogant, volatile, and calloused front he portrays to the world, I've had the pleasure to witness the_ _ **real**_ _Damon, the human-version before Katherine sunk her talons into him and changed him for the worst._

 _I sound pathetic! I promised myself after Tyler, that I would_ _ **never**_ _become that girl again. That girl who cries over a guy, and the girl that never felt good enough to find love and be loved._

 _I guess that's all for now. I have ranted long enough and boy do I feel better._

 _Well, I hear Elena and Caroline approaching my room, so peace out!_

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

" _Knock, knock_!" Caroline's way too chipper voice echoed from the other side. Ember tucked her diary away and grabbed a box from under her bed just as Elena and Caroline sauntered inside and bounced on her bed. Ember dramatically shielded her eyes and squinted, "Geez, Care, you're like sunshine. How can you be so hyper this early in the morning _before_ coffee?"

Elena chuckled and laid her head on Ember's lap, her supple legs swinging off the bed. Ember absentmindedly stroked Elena's straight hair, massaging her scalp while Caroline threw the redhead a deadpanned look before leaning over and tearing her hand away from her eyes, "And how can you be so dramatic this early in the morning?" she retorted good-naturedly, "Besides, just 'cause you didn't drink coffee yet, didn't mean I haven't."

"Touché," Ember grinned, "So… where've you been? You were supposed to stop by the day after the Kick-Off party and share the deets of the BFF brawl we stumbled into."

Since the Founder's 150th Anniversary Party took place ten days before the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, it was made into an annual holiday, meaning no school for two weeks. Mystic Falls truly was an amusing and unique little town; for the citizens, Christmas, New Year's, and Easter weren't the only significant holidays, but the plethora of Founder's events that had become important traditions, especially to those from the Founding Families. It was always amusing when new people moved into Mystic Falls, watching their unadulterated shock in response to all the Founding events and the shutting down of school due to holidays that weren't exactly universal.

"Ugh, sorry," Caroline smiled apologetically, making herself comfortable on the bed, lying on her stomach with her feet dangling in the air, "Matt's been a mess. I've been helping him out since he kicked Kelly out." The twins' reactions was instantaneous; Elena's head shot off from Ember's lap, her unblinking gaze never wavering from Caroline's cornflower-blue eyes, and Ember had to quickly lean back before Elena's head collided with her chin.

"What do you mean Matt kicked Kelly out?" Elena spluttered, and simultaneously, Ember gasped, " _Why_?"

Leaning forward in a conspiratorial manner, Caroline solemnly uttered, "Vault?"

"Vault!" Ember and Elena compliantly intoned. To the four best friends, _Vault_ was a _huge_ deal, meaning the secrets spilt would follow them to the grave, _unless_ they were _explicitly_ given permission to blab, which rarely ever happened. Wrinkling her nose, Caroline spilled the beans, though she warily scrutinized Ember as though fearing her reaction in particular, "Tyler was like, full-on, making out with Kelly. And they weren't even drunk! Matt walked in on them and went ballistic – _obviously!_ – and instead of apologizing, Tyler fought back… and, well… we saw the rest."

Ember rolled her eyes upon finding herself on the receiving end of Caroline and Elena's concerned gaze. She didn't give two shits about Tyler's conquests. He could go fuck a goat for all she cared. "Why're you staring at me? I'm _so_ over Tyler. And if I weren't, finding out that he had the nerve to make out with his best friend's mom and then proceed to pulverize him into a pulp, then that would speed up the process. The only emotion I'm feeling, is disgust."

"Ditto," Elena nodded, relieved when she didn't detect any lie in Ember's genuine statement. Caroline hummed in agreement, and walked over to the vanity, keeping her hands busy by braiding her golden locks while scrutinizing her two best friends. "Okay. Spill. Don't give me that look-" she sternly added upon seeing the identical looks of innocence grace the twins' features, "We've been friends since kindergarten, I think I could tell by now when something's eating at you guys."

Ember stubbornly folded her arms, emerald orbs burning a hole through the brunette's forehead who had taken a sudden interest in tracing the patterns of Ember's mattress. Unable to stand the uncomfortable silence any longer, Elena expelled a loud sigh and mumbled, "John's my biological father."

"Okay, I did _not_ see that coming!" Caroline blurted out, eyes flickering between the twins as though she were waiting for one of them to yell out "JUST KIDDING". Instead, all she got was an exasperated, " _That's what I said_ ," from Ember. Caroline frowned, abandoned her half-braided hair and padded over to Elena's side, unable to stomach the look of complete desolation coloring her face, "Look, El. Personally, I think it's great. I mean… you've known John your _whole life_ , unlike that Isobel bitch, he _never_ abandoned you. The fact that he stayed in your life must count for something, right? My own parents avoid me like the plague, what does that say about me?!"

Ember beamed at the blonde, shooting a smug expression at Elena, who was now biting her lower lip in a mixture of uncertainty and guilt. "See, Elena! You can't keep avoiding Uncle John. I mean, Care and I are perfect examples. My biological parents _literally_ dumped me like trash, and Care's parents are _never_ around! Uncle John made it a point to visit _all the time_ and he was there for all your important milestones!"

The room was blanketed in silence as Elena processed the redhead and the blonde's words. "He never did miss any of my birthdays," she mused aloud, looked up, and received two supporting smiles in response. "And he made it a point to teach me how to defend myself…" and again, two wider smiles were flashed at her direction. Sighing, Elena nodded, "Fine. I'll talk to him." The admission made her feel ten times lighter, as though a ginormous boulder had been lifted off her shoulders.

Humming merrily, Ember's attention flickered toward the box.

"Uh, Em, what's in the box?" Caroline curiously inquired, pointing a finger at the innocuous box. Once the redhead opened it, the blonde ignored the brunette's hearty laughter and blinked a few times, shocked to the core, "I'm not even going to ask why you have two creepy hands hoarded in your room." Caroline learned the lesson the hard way… _never try to understand Ember Gilbert and the weirdness that's uniquely her._

* * *

Unbeknownst to the three teenagers sequestered in Ember's room, Damon had finally plucked up the courage and swallowed back his pride, and was currently sitting in the living room with John; Jenna and Jeremy flittering around in the background as they prepared breakfast and most importantly, coffee.

John sternly stared back at Damon, patiently waiting for him to say what he had initially come to say, and after five minutes of strained silence where Damon could clearly be seen struggling to put his thoughts into eloquent words, he finally manned up, "Look, I came to apologize." The word left behind a bitter taste in his mouth, not used to apologizing. "My pride is only succeeding in hurting Ember and… I _really_ like her. She's not a substitute," he bluntly revealed.

Sandy blonde eyebrows arched, " _Oh_?"

"At first, Ember and I were just a casual thing, taking out our frustrations on each other. I've loved Katherine for nearly one-hundred-and-forty-six years. Because of her, I had a purpose: Free Katherine from the tomb," Damon swallowed, drumming his fingers nervously on the table, "I never wanted to be a vampire, you know? Stefan forced me to feed because he didn't want to be alone… but only after I completed the transition, Emily Bennett revealed that Katherine was still alive and trapped under the church with the other vampires, and I had a reason to live again. _Every day_ I survived because of that one purpose, waiting for the damn comet to pass over Mystic Falls to be happy again." He dragged a hand through his raven hair in an aggravated manner, glad that John had yet to interrupt him, otherwise he'd clam up and leave; he detested chick-flick moments. "When I found out that Katherine wasn't in the tomb, had _never been_ in the first place, and when Anna informed me that the bitch had always known where I was, I felt like I was drowning."

Looking up, Damon _finally_ instigated eye-contact with the pair of intimidating sapphires, "Ember saved me. She pulled me out of the deep end and gave me a reason to live, to breathe. So, no, John, I'm not nor have I ever even thought of, using Ember as a substitute. I truly do like her. _A lot_."

A fond smile materialized on John's face, "Ember does have that effect on people. But-" and here, his lips pursed into a stern line again, "-I'm _very_ protective of my niece. I've done everything I possibly could to keep that light in her glowing. How do I know you won't hurt her? Tell me, Damon, why should I trust you to keep Ember happy?"

"Honestly," Damon blinked, his next words genuinely taking John aback, "You can't…I'm a fuck-up, John. I have these self-destructive tendencies and I just can't help it. But I promise you, I will _never_ purposely set out to harm Ember in any way, not if I can help it."

"I see," John sighed.

He still preferred Stefan over Damon, but the fact that the elder Salvatore had the balls to finally confront him for Ember's sake won himself some brownie points. Also, Damon, for some confounding reason, made Ember happy, and John knew… _oh he knew_ , that if he forbade Ember from ever seeing Damon, she'd obey him due to her idolization and respect of him, and he couldn't bear to see his niece unhappy because of his – frankly – personal hatred of Damon for turning Isobel.

"I really hope I won't regret this," John huffed, dragging a hand down his face, "But I approve. I'm giving you _one chance_ , don't blow it!"

Damon smirked, "Duly noted. So… my first step as a gentleman, I'm here to ask your permission to be Ember's escort for the Pageant."

John grumbled an affirmative just as the three girls descended the staircase, shock the main emotion on Ember's gorgeous visage, "Damon? What are you- _woah_! You and Uncle John are in the same room and there's no bloodshed-"

" _See_!" Caroline giggled, poking Ember's nose, "Dramatic before coffee. Told ya!" The blonde skipped over to John's side, planted a kiss on his cheek and continued over to the kitchen, planning on joining the Gilberts for breakfast. Ember's shock surmounted when John sent her a supportive smile, tilting his head toward Damon and the redhead numbly accepted Damon's offer to talk in private by the porch, leaving Elena and John to be alone in the same room for the first time since his confession.

 _Awkward…_ but it had to be done.

Closing the door softly behind her, inquiring emeralds met imploring electric blues, "So… why'd you come? You haven't bothered for days." Sighing sadly, Damon interlaced his fingers with hers and gave her a look that made her feel as though he were looking deep in her soul, "I'm not good at this, Ember. I haven't had to be a true gentleman since 1863 when I dated Amy Radcliffe before Hurricane Katrina stormed into town."

Ember chuckled lightly, finding amusement in Damon's choice of words, however, she stubbornly kept her mouth shut, adamantly refusing to make the circumstances easy for him after the way he hurt her with his damn obstinacy and pride.

"I think I made progress with your uncle. Gave me a chance, threatened me not to blow it," Damon sounded extremely insecure, prompting Ember's expression to soften a smidge. Damon's thumb formed soothing circles on her inner wrist, his eyes never, for even a second, detaching from hers, "I'm an idiot, Ember. Ask Stefan, and he'll tell you what I'm about to… I have self-destructive tendencies. Whenever I've got something good going for me, I fuck it up. It's like I don't believe I deserve to be happy, but _you_? You make me happy. When I look at you, I see a chance for a better future, one where I can be myself, not some puppet playing Katherine's game. Forgive me for being a stubborn, insensitive dick. I've never met someone with strong family ties, and I was a douche to you. I'm trying here, Em. So, if you'll have me, give me a chance, let me be your escort to the Pageant…"

Ignoring the damn tear that escaped her eyelid and streamed down her face, Ember beamed at him and chuckled, "God, you're a piece of work." And not giving him a chance to respond, sealed her answer with a passionate, mind-numbing kiss, her arms winding around his neck, and his hands reaching out to pull her hips flush against his, their tongues dueling as they fought for dominance.

While the couple made up outside, father and daughter were engulfed in a strained silence inside. Jenna, Jeremy and Caroline's cheerful voices meshed together and permeated the living room, alleviating the tension slightly.

"So…" Elena uncomfortably uttered, her right leg hovering over her left and her fist punching her palm softly in a repetitive motion. John simply smiled and took a few steps forward, grateful Elena didn't inch backward, "Elena, I know you hate me-"

"I _don't_ _hate_ you," Elena instantly interrupted, her face slightly flushed when John arched a skeptical eyebrow. "I mean… I wasn't your greatest fan, but… I never hated you. I just… _god_ , this is so hard. It shouldn't be this hard," she started rambling; it was no secret that Elena rambled when she got nervous. "All my life I thought you were my uncle, and then seventeen years later, _BAM_! I find out you're actually my father. I don't know _what_ to think, what to say, how to act around you-"

All of a sudden, two firm hands clasped her forearms, stabilizing her and throwing her back to the present. John smiled sorrowfully at her, "I wanted to raise you myself." And okay, those words had Elena gasping out loud, not having expected that… which seems to be happening _a lot_ lately in the Gilbert household. "I know I'm not the most responsible type, and when I was younger I was a lot worse. Very reckless. But I did, Elena. Although I was sixteen and still in high school, I wanted to raise you with Isobel. But then Gray… he always was the voice of reason, he tried to make me see sense. 'How can you raise a child when you haven't even graduated, you don't have a job, a diploma, you haven't started college yet.' It was a convincing argument, but your stubbornness?" he chuckled and Elena found herself entranced, devouring every word that came out of John's mouth, "You inherited that from me. I refused to give you up for adoption. Then Miranda decided to give it a go, asked me how I expected to raise a child when Isobel and I attended different schools and lived towns apart."

Dragging a hand through his hair, sapphire eyes suddenly dimmed, his mood swings beginning to make Elena dizzy.

"I was stubborn, Elena. I argued that I'd make things work. That I'd find a way. And then… and then," his expression darkened, "Isobel joined the fray. Said she didn't want to raise a child. Didn't want to be held back by motherhood. I may be stubborn, Elena, but I'm not selfish," his eyes flickered over to meet her warm chocolate ones. "What kind of life can I give you? Single Dad. No job. Still a high school student. Unable to activate my trust fund until my twenty-first birthday. All I could offer you, was my love, and I loved you the moment Isobel showed me the ultrasound scan and told me you were a girl."

Elena felt numb. She didn't even notice tears were pooling in her eyes and sliding down her olive complexion until John softly brushed them off with the pads of his thumbs, his own eyes suspiciously wet.

"So, what changed your mind?" she shakily inquired, guilt consuming her regarding her unfair treatment of John for the entirety of her life.

"Like I said, I love you. I loved you too much to force you into a life of poverty and hardships. I wanted to give you the world, a loving family, siblings you could play with, a stable home to live in. So, in the end, I decided that if I couldn't raise you as my daughter, then, no matter how much I despised the idea, being around as your Uncle John was better than not having you in my life at all." John dragged a hand through his hair, displaying his distress, "Grayson and Miranda had been married for four years already and had no luck in having a child, so when I offered, they immediately agreed to raise you. After Isobel gave birth to you, she left and I remained in Mystic Falls until my graduation, watching you grow. Grayson had a conference in England and I tagged along and we found Ember and you know the rest," he smiled sadly. "I went to Whitmore for college to stay close to you and I made sure to always visit whenever I could after I graduated."

"I'm sorry," Elena blurted out, confusing her uncle/biological father. "I was _so soo_ horrible to you. God," now Elena looked distressed, self-hatred coursing through her veins, "You visited all the time and I made sure to stay away from the house whenever you came. I don't know why, I just… I just felt weird being around you. Maybe on some level, my heart knew you were my father and I decided to keep my distance, but I'm sorry, John."

John shrugged, a small smile tugging on his lips, "It's alright, Elena. It's all in the past. As long as you were happy, I was happy."

Nervously, Elena covered the short distance between them, wringing her wrists, "Mom and Dad would always be my parents. But…You think, I mean, maybe we can start over? Start fresh…? I could get used to having another father around…"

John chuckled, not the least bit embarrassed when tears started to blur his vision, "I'd be honored. If you'll have me."

And for the first time in… _ever!_ Father and daughter shared their first _genuine_ hug.

* * *

Ember and Elena stood with their respective Salvatore in the dance hall at Mystic Falls High, waiting for Mrs. Lockwood to get the ball rolling, when the double doors swung open revealing Caroline and-

" _BONNIE_!" the twins squealed, leaving their boyfriends' sides to engulf the dark-haired girl in a suffocating embrace.

While Elena and Bonnie had both suffered through mild PTSD after they were held hostage by the tomb vampires, Bonnie dealt with her condition a lot differently. Pleading her case to her Grams, Sheila in turn convinced her father to allow Bonnie to leave Mystic Falls a week before the annual holiday and she departed, choosing to surround herself with relatives from her dad's side, and therefore, far away from the Supernatural. It had been over two weeks since they last saw the last member of their quartet, and the girls missed Bonnie terribly.

"Never ever ditch us again," Ember's voice sounded muffled as she stubbornly buried her face in the crook of Bonnie's neck, not ready to release her from her tight grip just yet. Elena nodded in wholehearted agreement, "What are you doing here anyway?" Bonnie Bennett wasn't part of a Founding Family, in fact, other than Amber, all the other girls were strictly daughters of the Founding Families.

Caroline jumped into the conversation and answered for Bonnie, "I begged her to fill in for Matt, he had to work today." Finally releasing Bonnie, the redhead gazed at the newbie witch intently, "And _why_ , Miss Bonnie Bennett, did you leave the crucial information of your arrival out over our joint video conversations?" Although Bonnie was away with her relatives, the four best friends made it a point to keep in touch every day through Skype.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Bonnie smiled, her hazel-greens flickering between Stefan and Damon, and she nodded her head in acknowledgment. Before any more words could be traded, Carol Lockwood loudly cleared her throat and ushered the girls to join their respective partners. Accepting Stefan's hand, Elena hissed back at the raven-haired girl, "This is so not over!" but the playful expression on her face belied her words.

"Didn't think it was," Bonnie retorted with a grin.

Carol clapped her hands loudly, irritating the girls – Ember may adore Carol Lockwood, but that woman was intolerable during Founding events. "Get in position!" she ordered, her striking green eyes flickering toward each girl and their partner, "Honor your partner. Stay focus, right hand around. Flirt with your eyes. Left hand around."

"This is ridiculous," Elena giggled, trying to suppress her laughter as Stefan made a funny face.

Caroline scoffed good-naturedly and tried to keep her face impassive as she and Bonnie rehearsed the dance. Ember and Damon on the other hand, they flirted with more than just their eyes, and thanks to his nifty vampire senses, Damon would steal a few mischievous kisses whenever Carol's back was turned.

Stefan chuckled, "You're only saying that because you don't know how to do it."

Elena gasped in mock offense, a playful twinkle in her chocolate orbs as she retorted, "Sorry. Only one of us was around when the dance was invented."

"Ouch!" Caroline and Bonnie intoned, chuckling at Stefan's expense. Damon smirked, "She told you, brother."

" _Burn_! You go Laney," Ember giggled, clapping her hands in childish glee.

Ribbing Stefan had gained the unwanted attention of Carol Lockwood, who hovered over all of them, her face the perfect replica of a nesting dragon, "No talking! You four!" She pointed toward the best friends, all of whom tried and failed to keep their expressions innocent. Carol sighed in weary defeat, "You four are little terrors whenever you're in the same room. I'm separating you. Caroline, Bonnie, you stay here. Stefan, Elena, go stand by Amber. As for you two," her stern stare flickered between Damon and Ember, "You weren't sneaky enough. No touching and _no kissing_ during this part. It's about the _simple_ intimacy of the _near_ touch! Go stand by the Fell twins, and I want no more trouble out of you six!"

Suffice to say, when they were done practicing, Carol Lockwood managed to suffer through multiple conniption fits as a result of the four best friends and their inability to follow the rules.

* * *

"Why are we here again?" Elena grumbled, pouting over the fact that she had chosen to accompany Ember and Bonnie to Sheila's place instead of spending quality time with her boyfriend after dance practice, like Caroline currently was with Matt at the Grill.

Bonnie nodded, pointing her thumb toward Elena's direction, "I'm with her. Why'd you wanna see Grams again?"

Ember rolled her eyes as she ripped off her shades from her face and slid it back into her hair. Clambering out of her baby, the redhead ambled over to the front door, not sparing her twin and best friend another glance as she explained her reasons, "First of all Laney, I didn't _force_ you to come with me, _you offered_. As for your question, Bon-Bon, I need to talk with your Grams about those damn rings your ancestor made, they make me feel icky."

" _Icky_?" Bonnie parroted in disbelief, at the same time Elena whined, "Shut up. Stefan had to go feed."

Ember smirked at her twin, "Exactly. Stefan chose to hang out with Thumper. So quit whining." At that moment, the door swung open and the redhead sighed loudly in relief, " _Finally_. Save me from these two menaces."

" _Hey_!" Elena and Bonnie intoned in mild offense; Sheila smiled fondly at the three girls, listening to their playful antics were like music to her ears, and the old witch was glad to see that Elena and Bonnie were starting to move on from their traumatic experience at the hands of Frederick and Bethanne.

Closing the front door behind them, Sheila bustled over to the kitchen, preparing a pot of tea and an assortment of biscuits for the girls. Setting the tray down, shrewd mahogany eyes flickered from Bonnie, who sat in the armchair beside her, and onto the twins, who were huddled together on the futon, "It's nice to see you in different circumstances Ember, Elena."

Quickly swallowing the yummy chocolate biscuit, Ember beamed, mirth shining brightly in her eyes, "Yeah, I prefer this cozy setting without vampire corpses littered on the floor- _Ouch!_ What was that for Laney," she pouted, massaging her arm, "That hurt!"

Bonnie chuckled and leaned forward to grab a tasty strawberry biscuit and Sheila shook her head fondly, "I am assuming Ember dragged you two over, hmm?"

"It's about the rings Emily had made for Jonathan Gilbert," Ember got straight to the point, in desperate need for some form of reassurance, and who better to get it from, than an experienced Bennett witch in the flesh. Sheila's attention was instantly waxed. "My magic reacts badly… no, actually, badly would be a gross understatement. My magic violently lashes out whenever I'm in close proximity to those rings. There's this dark aura radiating out of them, and when the ring resurrected Alaric, my magic recoiled. What do you know about those rings, Sheila?" All exuberance washed away, and Ember exuded utter solemnity, her emeralds stern and expression grave.

Leaving the girls for a moment, when Sheila returned, she had Emily's grimoire in hand. "Let's see," the old witch hummed to herself, reverently flipping through the yellowed pages. With an "aha!", Sheila's finger skidded through the correct page as she read aloud, "It says here, that Emily enchanted the rings and had your ancestor believe _he_ created them, with the intent of combating against the vampires that took residence in Mystic Falls. The ring can bring back to life humans killed by supernatural beings, even if the human is killed indirectly by use of an object or weapon, the wearer can return to life."

Hesitantly, Elena spoke up, "John mentioned our Dad had a ring-"

"Your father died a natural death, Elena," Sheila sadly explained, mahogany orbs sorrowfully taking in the despair coloring Ember and Elena's visages. "If, for example, a vampire manipulated the car into driving off Wickery Bridge and submerging into the water, then yes, Grayson would have come back to life."

Not wanting to relive her parents' death in the slightest, Ember returned to the crux of the matter, "So there's no foul play in those rings? No evil enchantment or whatnot?" She didn't trust Emily as far as she could throw her. After reneging on her deal with Damon and leaving the consequences to her living descendants, Ember wasn't planning on trusting the manipulative dead-witch-bitch _ever_.

Sending Ember a knowing look, Sheila dutifully replied, "A witch that spelled an object has the ability to _de-spell_ it. However, Emily is dead, has been for over a hundred years, Ember dear. I do not believe there is any ' _foul play_ ' as you so eloquently put it."

"But then _why_ is my magic reacting so negatively around those rings?!" Ember huffed, dragging a hand roughly through her crimson locks. Bonnie piped up, adding in her two cents, "Maybe because our brand of magic differs greatly from each other, maybe your magic felt threatened by the powerful enchantment on the ring…?"

 _Maybe…_ But Ember doubted it. After all, if that were the case, then her magic would have reacted badly to the Gilbert Compass, which was also spelled by Emily Bennett.

* * *

Jenna paced in front of the vacant office that had previously been Grayson's clinic, the place where her brother-in-law operated his medical practice before his untimely death. Until Ember and Elena were of age, it was up to Jenna to take care of it, and she managed to keep her distance since May 2009… since the accident.

Shivering slightly, Jenna hugged her body and rubbed her arms in an effort of eradicating the damn goosebumps. Jenna preferred John handle the empty clinic, as the place held too many memories, memories of a better time, a time when the family was whole. Unfortunately, a woman called, hoping to buy the place, and according to the family lawyer, it was in her duty as guardian to deal with the latest issue.

"Miss Sommers?" a cultured voice snapped Jenna out of her morbid musings and she forced a smile on her face when she turned to greet the vampire, "Yes. Hi Pearl."

The vampire was too arrogant in Jenna's opinion. She truly believed Jenna was ignorant in regards to the vampires swarming the town, or perchance Pearl assumed Jenna unaware of their existence. When the vampire had called after the girls left for dance practice, Jenna instantly knew Pearl decided to target her as a form of revenge against Ember, and _that_ would be her downfall – Jenna naturally radiated an air of innocence, giving her a weak appearance, and _that_ , it made her a terribly dangerous opponent.

Adopting a professional tone, Jenna ignored the protean bracelet on her wrist and stuck to the plan. Unlocking the door to the clinic, she welcomed Pearl inside in an attempt to keep their upcoming altercation private. "This property was in my brother-in-law's family for generations. It's one of the originals structure in Mystic Falls. It used to be one of those old fashioned drugstore thingies," alright, so maybe Jenna had taken a few acting classes in her youth, and she was milking it for all it's worth.

"An apothecary," Pearl amended.

Jenna beamed, snapping her fingers in remembrance, " _Yeah_."

"You don't say," Pearl hummed, her onyx orbs taking in the dusty space, her augmented vision narrowing in on the collection of cobwebs. Faking an amalgamated expression of mortification and contrite at its lack of pristine condition, Jenna fluttered her hands, gesticulating wildly around the place, "Sorry if it's a little musty. No one has been here for months."

Pearl smiled amicably, "I'll use my imagination."

 _I'll bet you are_ , Jenna inwardly thought, plastering a smile on her face as the vampire examined the remains of her old apothecary.

"You seem like a nice lady," Pearl suddenly voiced out, waiting for the perfect opportunity to carve out the human's heart with her bare hand. Arching an eyebrow, Jenna let out an airy laugh, "Pardon?"

Pearl slowly approached her, a wicked smile replacing its previous cordial one. "It's a pity you share a relation to Ember Gilbert," she continued, now a hairsbreadth away from the caramel-haired woman with friendly hazel eyes, "If the situation were any different, I believe we would have gotten along swimmingly."

And because of the vampire's arrogance, she never noticed Jenna subtly reach out for the recently carved wooden stake taped under the desk she stood beside, a stake that John had recently planted there for their plan to work. Her fist circled the stake in a firm grasp, and Jenna's cheerful smile morphed into an impressive sneer that didn't suit the gentle woman. "You mean, if you weren't a vampire hell-bent on subjugating the people of this town, and killing my niece?"

" _What_?" Pearl hissed, reeling backward as though she had been struck, eyes widening in disbelief. In her moment of shock, she never noticed a stake, appearing out of nowhere, and swiftly embedded into her heart by the frail-looking mortal.

Digging the stake deeper for good measure, Jenna watched triumphantly as Pearl's skin turned a sickly grey, and veins swirled on her skin. " _Go to hell_ ," Jenna spat out as the desiccated and definitely dead Pearl dropped onto the ground. Simultaneously, a loud "NO!" resounded, and Jenna had time to turn toward the door and notice a dark-skinned man in his early twenties barge in, before he too, dropped down, face first on the dusty ground, a stake firmly sticking out of his back.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Jenna smiled in gratitude as a smugly smirking John waltzed inside, an intimidating crossbow slung over his back. "Nice work partner," he chuckled, and in an unnatural show of tenderness, he placed an arm over her shoulder, sapphire eyes observing her slightly quivering form in concern, "Your first vampire?"

"Yeah," she laughed weakly, "Thanks for having my back."

John shrugged, "What's family for?"

"Wow. Eighteen years ago, I'd never have believed John Gilbert to have come to my rescue," Jenna jested, locking the place up behind her and crossing the road to enter Mystic Grill for a desperately needed stiff drink. John lightly elbowed her, "Eighteen years ago, you were head over heels for Logan Fell and used me to make him jealous."

Jenna rolled her eyes, "You act as though you were an unwilling participant. If memory serves correctly, you were _very_ willing, thank you very much."

"Of course I was," John dryly commented, his eyes roving her form in appreciation and Jenna couldn't help but flush a cherry red at his implication. "Just shut up and order me a dirty martini, _extra_ olives," Jenna snarkily told him as she dumped her purse onto the bar.

John rolled his eyes but acquiesced.

* * *

The Miss Mystic Falls Pageant was a hoot and a half, and the night ended on an amazing note, the twins psyched that Caroline Forbes won the title she desperately yearned to achieve. Unfortunately, all good things had a habit of coming to an abrupt end, and when they returned home that night, Jenna and John informed them of Pearl's demise.

"I made you that bracelet to call me when you're in trouble, Jenna," Ember snapped, emerald eyes blazing, "You've never killed a vampire before, what if Pearl saw the stake in your hand?!" She abruptly snapped her fingers, "That's the time it would've taken for the bitch to snap your neck!"

Jenna firmly placed her hands on her hips, "That's enough, Ember. I am the adult here. John and I are responsible for you three, not the other way around!" She quickly held a hand up in an appeasing manner, halting Ember from spitting out a retort, "Yes, I know. When it's magic related or supernatural, you're the person to call, but honey, Pearl isn't the first, and she won't be the last vampire to target this family; _especially_ since Elena could easily be mistaken for Katherine, _and_ because you're all part of the Founding Family. I need to stand up for myself, Ember."

"She's right," John declared. Elena, Ember and Jeremy's jaws dropped down in a comical fashion… John and Jenna agreeing with each other was a once in a lifetime event! Next thing, pigs would start to fly. "One thing all villains have in common," he explained, sitting down on the armchair, "Is that they go for the heart. That vampire- Noah, he threatened Jeremy to lure you into a more private setting. The tomb vampires took Elena and Bonnie captive to lure you and Mrs. Bennett to them. Pearl targeted Jenna to get even with you," John ticked off. "Jenna cannot be the weakest link. She needs the experience, needs to learn how to fight for herself."

Ember looked down at her lap, still dressed in her violet ball gown, her face a mixture of mollified and chastised.

Jenna sighed, squeezing herself between her nieces and throwing an arm around both of them. "If I thought I couldn't handle it, I'd have used the bracelet, Ember. John had my back," she smiled at the sandy blonde man, a twinkle in her eyes. John smirked, shaking his head in amusement at the new camaraderie bond they miraculously formed.

"Fine," Ember pouted, but her emerald eyes were suspiciously focused on something in particular behind John and the moment he loudly yelled, Elena and Jeremy joined in her laughter.

"What the-EMBER! WHY ARE THERE HANDS ON MY SHOULDERS?!" John yelled, a frantic quality in his tone.

Ember's signature mock-evil-laugh escaped her pouty lips, "Uncle John, meet Thing and Thing. They used to belong to Pearl, but I guess we've gained full custody of them now, huh?" And with a last chuckle at their expense, the three siblings took a quick glimpse as their uncle and aunt skirted around the room in an attempt to avoid the spidery hands chasing after them, identical expressions of disgust marring their features, before they ascended the staircase and went into their respective rooms for some well-earned shuteye.

* * *

It's been hours, and she was sick and tired of the scavenger hunt. All day long, Anna's been dialing her mother's cellphone, wandering through the entire town in hopes of hearing the ringtone and pinpointing her location.

When the clock struck midnight, the familiar ringtone echoed in the air, discerned due to her uncanny hearing. Ignoring the terrible feeling churning in her belly, Anna broke into her mother's previous apothecary and switched the lights on, only to stagger backwards and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

" _Mama_! No, no! Mama, no!" Anna sobbed, paying no attention to Harper's desiccated form and barreling straight toward her mother's corpse. Hugging her lifeless form close to her chest, Anna's tears cascaded down her cheek and slid onto her mother's grey complexion, "No, no. Don't leave me, Mama. Not again. Please don't leave me! _Noooo_!"

Hours later, Anna had no more tears left to shed. She channeled all her grief into rage. And all her rage pinpointed to vengeance, and her vengeance was aimed at Ember Gilbert.

And this time, Anna won't fail.

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **John Gilbert – David Anders**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennet – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Sheila Bennett – Jasmine Guy**_

 _ **Carol Lockwood – Susan Walters**_

 _ **Annabelle "Anna" Zhu – Malese Jow**_

 _ **Pearl Zhu – Kelly Hu**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **How'd you like this chapter?! XD**

 **(1) I added SO MUCH Gilbert fluff. I just adore them and with John in the picture, I just couldn't help it! :) (2) First of all, I'd like to apologize… for a) not adding the Potters and the Blacks – I just wanted to concentrate on the Gilberts and Caroline and the Bennetts, and b) not focusing on Ember's animagus form like I said I would at the end of last chapter. I will mention it in the next though… (3) Okay… now about the Elena/John confrontation (I know, I know,** _ **awhhh**_ **), I am deviating from canon, and with Ember in the picture, everything happens differently. So Elena is different, John is not so prejudiced, and Elena never hated John. Plus, I truly believe that if John survived at the end of Season 2, Elena and John would've had a chance to build a father/daughter relationship in due time. (4) Damon… was he a bit OC to you guys? I mean, in canon, he never tried appeasing the adults in Elena's life, cuz she had nobody. Elena hid everything from Jenna and Jeremy, and she hated John, and when she ended up with Damon in Season 4/5, she only had Jeremy left and no adult in her life. Well, this story of mine is different, because the adults are important to my plot and they ain't going nowhere. LOL! Besides, can you imagine how different Elena's life would've been if Grayson and Miranda** _ **never**_ **died? Especially in the: I have a vampire boyfriend department. (5) I wanted to show how Jenna's a badass. I hated her fate in canon. Season 1 and 2, she was this oblivious aunt that knew nothing about her niece and nephew and when she was finally shown the light regarding the supernatural world, she was killed right afterward. Well, I believe if given the chance, Jenna could kick some serious ass! So… did you like the John/Jenna part? I had fun writing it. (6) Thing and Thing are BACK! XD (7) And lastly, I am sorry for not adding the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant… I mean, we've all watched the show (nearly everyone, I guess) and if I'm gonna copy-paste everything, the story would be boring. Am I right? Besides, it wasn't an important scene, 'cause** _ **nothing**_ **happened. Since Stefan wasn't the one kidnapped and tortured, he never succumbed to human blood and so he escorted Elena without going all Ripper-y, Damon escorted Ember, and the Amber chick attended the dance.** _ **The End**_ **. LOL!**

 **Question; would you like me to bring Lexi back? If yes, do you want her to be a recurring character for now? Or a main character for Season 2? Lemme know! XD**

 **R &R.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 21:**

After extending an olive branch to the Black Family, an arrangement was made where every odd day whenever Ember wasn't at MACUSA for auror training, she would stop by their home to learn how to control her animagus transformations from Sirius. Jeremy occasionally accompanied her, the sole reason being him wanting to spend quality time with his new friend, Leo, and sometimes, they'd stick around for dinner, unable to resist Marlene's coaxing.

Sirius estimated one more week before his tutelage became redundant as he registered Ember to be a remarkably quick study, a natural at magic, and showed impressive control; and while Sirius would miss the routinely sessions, the witty duologues between them and periodically having his estranged goddaughter all to himself, he knew that they were at a better place and grasped a better understanding of one another.

However, on this particular session, Ember was clearly distracted, her progress stilted due to a particular something eating at her brain, and more than once, he noticed her expressive eyes lingering far too long on the wall as through it held the answers to life and the universe.

When Jenna and John banded together to lead Pearl towards her death, they knew there would be a huge consequence called Anna. They didn't doubt, not even for a second, that Anna would pursue them with vengeance, but a week had gone by, and they had seen neither hide nor hair of her, which meant the backstabbing vampire had a colossal plan in mind; something detrimental. Ember didn't fear her own safety; if that bitch came after her, she knew it, deep in her bones that she could take her down effortlessly with not even a hair out of place.

The problem was her family – her _non-magical_ family.

It was common knowledge, that the area for enemies to hit Ember the most, her weakness, tantamount to her strength and source of power, was her family. Pearl attempted to exploit that by targeting Jenna, believing her to be the weakest link, and had drastically failed; Ember had a bad feeling that Anna too, would utilize it, but with a more tactical approach, learning from her mother's mistake and using her rage and grief to fuel her.

 _The waiting was killing her-_

"Ember?"

"Hmm?" Ember's head snapped to meet Sirius' burning gaze, a concerned frown deeply etched on his forehead. Shaking her head, Ember sheepishly rubbed her eyes, "I'm sorry, Sirius. I've got a lot on my mind. Raincheck?"

Sighing, Sirius nodded in acquiescence, and after the redhead graciously declined Marlene's generous offer to stay for dinner, he escorted her outside and bid her farewell, Jeremy bounding after her.

Shutting the front door behind them, Ember expected to find Jenna and Elena playfully bantering over recipes or perhaps checking the pantry and the refrigerator for the correct ingredients as they listed what needed stocking up on; a ritual that took place a day before the Banes were scheduled to come over for lunch or dinner. Instead, Ember and Jeremy found John sitting on his favorite armchair in the living room, leaning forward with his elbows on the table and his face buried in his palms; Jenna could be seen pacing around wildly in the room, lost in thought, and Elena was absently flickering through the channels on the television, the volume on mute – an action Ember knew helped calm Elena through moments of nervous tension.

Ember felt as though something was lodged in her throat and was thankful to Jeremy for taking control of the ominous situation. "What's going on?" he firmly inquired, depositing himself beside Elena on the couch. All three of them were shaken out of their respective reveries, and Elena's strained smile did nothing to alleviate the tension in the room. Hesitantly, Ember approached them and planted her derrière on the arm of John's armchair, arms folded tightly against her chest and expression inquisitive.

In response, Jenna and Elena silently stared at John, inaudibly signaling for him to take the stand. Exhaling roughly through his nostrils, John reached out and clasped Ember's hand and in a voice of forced calm, divulged the latest dilemma the Gilbert Family would soon be facing. "I've just received intelligence that the surviving vampires from the tomb are still hell-bent on revenge for what the Founding Families did in 1864 and they are targeting their descendants, meaning _us_. They plan on leading a full-scale attack at the Town Square on the night of the Founder's Day Parade."

Simultaneously, Jeremy blurted out, "But that's in three days!" while Ember sharply demanded, "How do you know this?"

Sapphire eyes flickered from his nephew to his niece, expression grim. "I have a source. One of the vampires from the tomb, Henry, he doesn't hold a grudge towards the Founding Families and only wants to coexist in peace. I offered him sanctuary and educated him on how to survive the 21st century, and in return, he offered to be my spy. He just called an hour ago and confirmed the attack."

"Let them come," Ember snarled in determination, clenching a fist at their audacity. However, much to her surprise, Jenna shook her head in disagreement, "We can't just attack left and right, Ember. There are too many innocent lives at stake, too much collateral damage."

Elena continued Jenna's line of thought, "Besides, how are we supposed to correctly identify the vampires? We don't know how they look like. They could easily blend in, roaming around with the townspeople in plain sight."

The redhead turned to face her uncle, knowing that he was an excellent vampire hunter and a master strategist, "I'm assuming you already have a plan in motion?"

John grinned and softly squeezed her hand in affirmation, "I do. According to Henry, they procured costumes to blend in and stay a part of the celebration, and they will be attacking once the firework starts. …There's this device, an invention Jonathan Gilbert thought he made, but was spelled by Emily Bennett." It was a reflex action for Ember to scowl whenever the conniving Bennett witch's name was brought up, but she remained silent and listened closely to John, "This device will work only once, for an estimated time of five minutes. It's a high-pitched frequency that humans can't hear. Any vampires within a five-block radius will be incapacitated, exposing them. At that time, if we hopefully get Liz to agree, her deputies will inject them with vervain and bring them into Grayson's clinic, where we will finish them off."

" _But_? I'm assuming there's a _but_ ," Ember could sense from Elena and Jenna's crestfallen expressions that she had assumed correctly. John let out a bitter chuckle, knowing that nothing ever got past Ember, " _But_ , the device has two parts, and the key to activate it, last I heard, was in Pearl's possession. When Jenna killed her last week, I checked, the device wasn't on her person-"

"Meaning Anna probably has it," Jeremy interrupted, a heavy scowl taking over his features. John nodded once in response. Elena abandoned her seat in favor of retracing Jenna's previous footsteps, pacing around the room and wildly gesticulating with her hands as she verbalized her thoughts, "Also, I've been thinking… We don't know if Anna's a part of the plot. Is she gonna target us separately, or is she in league with the tomb vampires? Or how about that witch of hers? Or any other witch, really. How do we know they won't get resurrected again like they did before when Ember thought she had burned them down? And don't forget Stefan and Damon. They're going to have to steer clear of the Town Square or they'll get affected too."

Ember groaned; she had a theory – a completely insane and dangerous one, but a theory nonetheless – however, before employing her idea, she would need to talk to the President and apprise him of the situation. "I guess I'm gonna have to go Anna hunting-" but before another word could be uttered or exchanged, they were interrupted by the doorbell.

Naturally, the day after John's arrival, Ember dug out the ward-stone, and using a pint of his blood, had tied the wards to him as well, as he also had the power to invite vampires into their home; therefore, all five of them let out a loud breath of relief, their postures relaxing as they didn't sense anyone with evil intent waiting behind the threshold.

The last person they expected to see trailing after Jenna was Alaric, his expression lined in consternation.

"Alaric, this is a… _pleasant_ surprise," John's sarcasm reared its ugly head. Alaric however, didn't seem to be in the mood, for he snappishly revealed, "This isn't a social call, John. I just ran into Isobel-" three sharp intakes of breath escaped Jenna, Elena and Ember's lips, their eyes widening on Alaric, "-or to be more precise, I just got _threatened_ by my dead, not-so-dead, wife."

"What does she want?" Jeremy sharply inquired, noticing all the color drain from John's face at that particular revelation.

"She wants me to deliver a message," Alaric grimaced, hazel orbs flickering between Ember and Elena apologetically with a hint of confusion. "She wants to meet Elena and Ember. If you blow her off, she's threatened to go on a killing spree."

From across the room, Elena and Ember's confused orbs collided. Forsaking her seat, Ember rushed over to Elena's side and embraced her twin in an effort to assuage her distress. As she soothingly rubbed the brunette's back, Ember stared between Alaric and a rapidly paling John, "Elena, I get. But… _why me_? I'm not her daughter. I'm not her _anything_ , and frankly, I want nothing to do with that bitch."

"She must have an agenda," Jenna postulated, hazel orbs not detaching from Alaric's; as ridiculous as it may sound, but Jenna felt a bit intimidated over the fact that her boyfriend's wife moseyed into town and worse, into their lives.

John finally gained usage of his vocal folds, "She's after the same thing I am. The device. But her objective slightly differs from mine." Now on the receiving end of five inquisitive stares, John ruefully announced the ugly truth, "Isobel's been in contact with Katherine ever since her transition. While my aim is to protect Mystic Falls, Isobel's is to protect Katherine."

"Protect Katherine? I don't-I don't understand," Elena sounded borderline hysterical, though the hurt on her visage was plain as day; humans, witches and vampires alike were the ones who needed protecting _from_ Katherine, so why on Earth would Katherine _need_ protection? The very notion was laughable!

John sympathetically examined his daughter's wounded expression, "Katherine doesn't like having loose ends, Elena. The tomb vampires are witnesses to her survival-"

" _I knew it_!" Ember hissed as she pumped a fist into the air, unconsciously interrupting John as the truth hit her like a freight train. "A few months back, when Noah was terrorizing Elena… Caroline and I, we observed a memory of his in my pensieve. Pearl was talking with Katherine; they were discussing her cover story, and Pearl _clearly_ mentioned Katherine was hiding her tracks. She's running from somebody," Ember victoriously concluded, emerald orbs gleaming at her discovery. "I bet you _anything_ she spearheaded the whole tomb shebang to fake her death, and now with the vamps out to play, they could easily broadcast her survival, and she wants them dead! I'm right, aren't I?" Ember demanded, her face flushed as she waited for John's reply.

John slowly nodded, confirming her theory.

Elena, Jeremy, Jenna and Alaric gaped at Ember, impressed by her swift deductive reasoning, which left them completely rendered speechless.

* * *

For the umpteenth time that day, Ember grumbled to herself and fisted her hands.

Elena, who was currently mouthing 'I love you' to Stefan, who stood by the pool table with Damon, cut herself off with an impatient huff and turned to face her red-haired twin with a small scowl on her face. "For the _love of God_ , Ember, would you stop griping already? You've been complaining nonstop and you have finally succeeded in getting on my nerves!"

Emerald eyes rolled aggressively in their sockets, "Over-exaggeration much, Laney? I have _not_ bee-"

"My alarm clock this morning, was you _bitching_ about Isobel six ways to Sunday," Elena primly interjected, holding her hand aloft and ticking down one finger. " _While_ drinking coffee, you moaned and bitched between sips. The _entire_ ride to school, you _still_ wouldn't shut up about it, and I'm pretty sure Jer's ears are still ringing with your choice of colorful words," two fingers dropped, "In class, instead of whining out loud, you chose to vent your anger out on your notebooks and there are many holes from you continuously stabbing the pages with your pen! Thank god there was no cheerleading practice or you'd be facing a cheer-riot!"

And again, Ember rolled her eyes, "Dramatic much, Elena?" Elena's only response was to uncurl her fists, displaying her palms. Deep crescent-shaped tattoos littered her palms as a result of her digging her nails into them for the entirety of the day. The brunette shot her a pointed stare, prompting the redhead to sheepishly avert eye contact and place her hands under the table. "Case in point," Ember sighed. She angled her body to better face Elena, "I'm sorry Laney. I know I've been a pain since last night, it's just… I don't like this. Isobel, Anna, the tomb vamps… I think all the stress is starting to break me and I hate not being in control."

Elena smiled in comprehension and compassionately drew her in for a hug; Ember had the potential to unleash dangerous power on all their enemies, but currently, the redhead was useless and Elena knew how much it aggravated her twin. Their family had a huge target on their heads, and they were currently sitting blindly on the sidelines; they didn't know the intricacies of Anna's plan for vengeance and they were unsure regarding Isobel's full intentions – though, the fact that she was working with Katherine had them on edge and was a huge indicator. The tomb vampires would be attacking in two days and their main weapon was in the possession of enemy numero uno. Elena could read her twin like a book; she knew that walking into dangerous situations blindfolded frustrated Ember to no end and made her feel vulnerable and therefore, cranky.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," a cool voice resonated around them, prompting the twins to disentangle themselves from their embrace and search for the owner of the voice. In unison, emerald and chocolate orbs narrowed in on the curvaceous brunette with an ivory complexion, her impassive dark jade eyes flickering between them before she confidently deposited herself onto their booth, right in front of them. As Isobel silently scrutinized Elena, Ember turned slightly to inspect Damon and Stefan from her peripheral vision, noting that the two vampires had abandoned their game of pool for a table nearby.

When Ember and Elena brought up Isobel's desire for a tête-à-tête during lunch break, their vampire boyfriends strongly insisted on remaining close by as protection detail, brooking no argument; Ember would've found the idea of somebody one-upping her to be laughable, but the redhead knew that one's hubris could be their greatest downfall, after all, most despots – _cough,_ Grindelwald, _cough_ – lost the war due to one common denominator: arrogance; therefore, Ember didn't bother refusing the extra help, especially when Elena's safety was on the line. Alaric positioned himself outside the Grill, accompanied by Bonnie and Caroline, both of whom stubbornly refused to keep their distance and remain sequestered in the safety of their respective houses. John however, chose to remain behind with Jenna and help her prepare dinner for the Banes; not that the twins could blame him, apparently the tenuous alliance John and Isobel agreed upon in the past started to crack at the seams when Katherine's inclusion came to light, and John wished to avoid her at all costs.

The sound of Isobel's voice snapped Ember from her deep ponderings and underneath the table, she squeezed Elena's hand in order to provide comfort – after all, the unfeeling bitch was her biological mother. "You look _just_ like her, that's eerie," those were her first words to Elena, who didn't look impressed in the slightest, but nevertheless, Elena acted oblivious as she inquired, "You've met Katherine?"

"She found me after I turned. Genetic curiosity, I suppose," Isobel shrugged, as though it was quite normal for a supposedly entombed vampire to pop by for a visit. "She would be _fascinated_ by you."

Ember scoffed, "Yeah, I'll bet."

Her derogatory remark had her under the scrutiny of the vampire. Dark jade orbs fixated on the redhead, hungrily devouring her features, though her emotionless expression endured. "Ember Gilbert. Original name Rose Potter. _God_ , you greatly resemble her." Initially, Ember itched to rip her a new one for uttering the blasted name the Potters christened her with, despite her confusion as to how Isobel knew that accursed name in the first place, but her next statement had her posture freeze, putting her anger on hold.

Elena squeezed her hand, providing a balm which helped Ember recover from her shock, "Who _are_ you talking about?"

"Your mother," Isobel openly offered, but before they could say another word, she cut them off, "Your _biological_ mother. Lily…" she trailed off, her head cocking to the side and for once, Isobel's cold demeanor cracked, portraying genuine bewilderment. "You don't know? _They_ _never_ _told_ _you_?"

Elena answered for her in a demanding tone, "Tell her what?" But Isobel's confusion melted away, replaced with utter boredom – the woman should seriously invest in a mood ring. "I'm sure Ember will find out soon enough," was her blithe rejoinder.

Ember gritted her teeth and only Elena's hand in hers halted her from clenching her fist again and adding _more_ crescent-shaped tattoos, "Yeah, well. Secrets seem to be a pattern in the Gilbert household!"

"It seems so," Isobel drawled, eyes flickering between the sisters before she waved a hand in the air. "But never mind all that. I didn't come here to catch up, I'm here for-"

"My ancestor's device so you can protect Katherine," Elena roughly spat out, her tone acidic. Isobel's eyes narrowed into slits and she leaned forward, her voice adopting a sibilant hiss, "My, my, you have been busy. I'm guessing John told you?" Receiving no response from either twin, she adamantly pushed forward, "What _else_ did he tell you?"

Elena arched an eyebrow, clearly not intimidated by the vampire's menacing tone. She knew that from first glance she looked weak and innocent; an easy target with a bull's-eye emblazoned on her forehead, especially after Frederick captured her and forced her to play the demeaning role of a damsel in distress as leverage for the bigger prize. But Elena Gilbert had long ago discovered her inner strength, and how could she not, when she had Ember as a sister? After all, Elena had been educated in the Supernatural since the age of ten, her knowledge expanding with every passing year that could probably make even _Katherine's_ – a vampire more than five-hundred-years-old – head spin.

Folding her arms, Elena squarely met Isobel's glare. "You mean other than the fact that John's my biological father and you're team Katherine? Nothing much," she airily informed her. Ember linked arms with her twin and smirked, "Oh, you forgot to mention one important thing, Laney. You see, Isobel, putting two and two together, I realized that Katherine faked her own death, _meaning_ , she's clearly running from somebody. And I'm guessing this 'somebody' is uber-powerful. So she sent you here to clean up her mess, like the perfect little minion that you are."

Isobel sneered, "I'm nobody's minion. We just happen to have a mutual goal."

"Why did you compel that man to kill himself?" Elena abruptly asked, surprising even Ember with the unexpected non sequitur. "Right after he told me to stop looking for you?" The moment Elena witnessed the man callously kill himself, it had been eating at her, bothered by the cruel compulsion, and hoping against hope that her biological mother wasn't as heartless as she appeared to be. Unfortunately, Isobel proved her initial assumption to be correct once she nonchalantly shrugged, "Dramatic impact. I wish it would have been more effective."

This time, Elena's sneer rivaled Isobel's and could be likened to Katherine's, immensely shocking the vampire, "Oh, but it _was_ effective. I stopped looking for you. I stopped caring about you. And I stopped wondering if you had _any_ redeemable qualities. Don't forget _Isobel_ , _you're_ the one who came to _me_. _You're_ the one that asked to meet. _Not_ the other way around."

The vampire was truly out of her depth, wholly unprepared for the incessant surprises Elena and Ember kept shoving in her face at every turn. She had expected Elena to be obedient and a fragile little twig, moping and moaning about her lack of humanity, twitching in fear at the close proximity and the complete opposite of Katherine. Ember however, Isobel heard little about her from John, but she didn't expect her vampire senses to tingle and warn her of the danger she posed. Those two girls may not be biological twins, but they were so alike – uncannily so – and their bond was obviously unbreakable. Isobel hated being unprepared…

"You're a disgrace to your kind," Ember spat out, shaking her head in a mixture of disappointment and disgust. "It's the ones like you that give vampires a universally bad name. The good ones are misunderstood, conceived as monsters because of vampires like you and Katherine."

Isobel masked her surprise at Ember's emphatic defense toward her kind, "You mean like your boyfriends over there?" She jutted her chin towards the brothers, where they sat four tables away, and she allowed her eyes to collide with Elena's flinty stare, " _Why_ Stefan? Why didn't you go for Damon? Or are you enjoying them both like Katherine did?"

Elena recoiled as though she had been slapped, but surprising Isobel _again_ – much to her frustration – she didn't look uncomfortable or even a smidge guilty, but affronted and visibly disgusted at the mere insinuation. Ember on the other hand, let out a humorless chuckle, "Wow. That's desperate. Elena has something called _integrity_ , a quality she _clearly_ didn't inherit from you _or_ Katherine, so you might wanna look it up in the dictionary. Who knows? You might learn something."

"Touched a nerve did I?" she smirked, dark orbs burning into the pair of expressive emeralds that looked eerily similar, yet at the same time, considerably _dissimilar_ to Lily's; a confounding juxtaposition. "That's right. You're the one dating the elder Salvatore. _My bad_ ," she sarcastically cooed.

Tired that their conversation seemed to be going absolutely nowhere, Elena demanded, "Why did you want to meet us? Can't be just to catch up."

"Because I'm curious about you. Both of you," Isobel apathetically divulged, "But the _real_ reason is: I want what John wants. Jonathan Gilbert's invention."

"Done," Ember abruptly stood up, pulling Elena along with her. The redhead placed both palms on the table and leaned forward to meet Isobel's eyes, "What? You thought you'd have to threaten your way to get it? Let me spell the situation out for you. We don't have the device, but we know who does; a vindictive, two-timing bitch. We'll get the device and we'll eliminate the tomb vampires, but let me make it perfectly clear: I'm not doing it for you, and I'm _definitely not_ doing it for Katherine. I'm doing it for the safety of _my_ family, my friends, and _my_ town." Straightening herself up, Ember linked arms with Elena, "Stick around, or don't. Either way, I don't really give two fucks. But stay the hell away from us."

Elena glared at the woman, ashamed to even identify her as the person that carried her to full term and gave her life, "Thank you."

One perfectly plucked eyebrow arched, "For what?"

"For being such a _monumental_ disappointment," Elena enunciated, her chocolate orbs blazing with sincerity. "It keeps the memory of my _real_ mother perfectly intact," having said all she had left to say, Elena turned her back on Isobel and exited the Grill alongside her twin.

But as Bonnie, Caroline and Alaric fretfully inquired over their wellbeing, demanding to know what Isobel wanted, and as Stefan and Damon snaked an arm around their respective girlfriends' waists, having eavesdropped on the entirety of the conversation, Ember felt a magnetic pull, almost like an invisible string had been lassoed around her soul and was tugging at it for her attention. Absently disregarding her surroundings and the multiple consternated expressions directed at her, Ember's emerald orbs scoped the premises before they slammed into a pair of familiar hazel-greens, the owner gracefully approaching her.

"The potion has reached completion. The question you seek shall be answered," Qetsiyah kindly imparted before disappearing into mist.

"Em-"

"I have to go," Ember announced, extricating herself from Damon's grip and rushing to her car without bothering to spare the bewildered group a backward glance.

* * *

In record time, Ember arrived at her destination and haphazardly parked her car by the driveway of her house, absently noting John's car wasn't parked in its designated spot, which probably meant he was still out shopping for supplies with Jenna. Clambering out of the car and belatedly remembering to shut the car door, Ember pressed the button on her personal remote control and impatiently waited for the garage door to fold upward and slide open. It was when Ember squeezed her way between Jenna's and Elena's car that she felt a stab of guilt; in her rush to check on the potion, she completely forgot that Elena carpooled with her, however the moment the thought crossed her mind, she heard her twin hysterically call her name from behind.

"What the hell, Em!" Elena breathed out, running toward her with Bonnie hot on her heels, and the redhead noticed Caroline parking her car behind Ember's. The three had obviously hitched a ride together as they chased after her. "You scared us! What possessed you to run away like that?!"

Ember bit her lower lip and offered them a sheepish smile, especially when Caroline stormed towards them, her expression anything but amused. "I'm sorry. I completely spaced out. Qetsiyah appeared to me outside the Grill and told me the Heritage Potion was done. But, in my defense, I thought you'd stick around with Stefan for some quality time."

Elena, Caroline and Bonnie simply put their hands on their hips and ferociously glared at her, not appeased. Huffing, Ember raised her hands in surrender, "Fine, I'm sorry. I won't do it again. _Happy_?"

" _No_!" was their simultaneous response. After two beats of silence, Elena rolled her eyes and let out a huff of defeat, "But it'll do for now. I don't see the point of taking the potion anymore since I found out who my birth parents are…"

They followed Ember as she strode toward the end of the garage, bent down and pulled open the secret trapdoor that blended with the tiles. Slowly, the four girls descended the rickety-looking staircase, the trapdoor automatically sliding shut behind them, and it was only once they reached the landing, did Ember speak up, "That's true. But I was already halfway done with the potion when Uncle John fessed up. Then I thought it would be useful to bottle them up in case we ever need them." She paused in her speech to open the door leading to her laboratory as the door handle was keyed to her magical signature, allowing the others entry.

When Ember achieved an Outstanding in her Potion O.W.L., and proved a prodigy in the subject, her dad and uncle secretly made renovation plans and fitted in a trapdoor in the garage and a spacious room underneath – her very own potions laboratory presented to her for her fifteenth birthday. It was one of the best gifts she had ever received – other than her precious car – and Ember took great care of the room, warding it once she completed her Warding N.E.W.T. at the Magical Congress after graduation. She made sure that the room recognized her magical signature, paranoid that some troublesome kids or an intruder would snoop around and locate her secret room, which so happened to be her safe haven.

" _But now_ , Isobel's words, she reminded me of something Qetsiyah briefly mentioned, you know, when I temporarily died-" the other three instantly flinched at the blunt reminder, but Ember paid them no mind as she made her way to the bubbling potion and turned on the timer to five minutes. "Qetsiyah referred to you as my _adopted_ twin," she told Elena, "and, the way she said it, it seemed off, like she… like she _knew_ something we didn't. Isobel apparently knew me or _of me_ when I was Rose Potter. It just doesn't add up. Methinks it's something to do with our heritage; more secrets. So we're gonna take the test and get the answers we deserve once and for all."

Caroline finally spoke up, which frankly surprised Ember as she had half expected the blonde to start jabbering the moment she got out of her car in true Caroline Forbes fashion, "Wait, so… you're telling me you think and Elena might actually be blood related?"

"It's a possibility," Ember shrugged. Elena stood by her side, rendered speechless at the probability; Ember and Elena didn't care about the final results, because no matter what the potion exposed, they were twins, sisters, family, blood or not – a piece of paper and a DNA test could _never_ make them feel any differently about each other. What _did_ bother them however, was the incessant need for all the secrecy.

Bonnie on the other hand, stared at the twins, perplexed, as she tried to make sense of the facts she had already been told, "Wait, wait. Hold on a sec. Ember; didn't you tell us you made this potion during your final year at Ilvermorny? I mean, that's _how_ you found out about the Potters being your birth parents, isn't it? Did it show any relation to Elena?"

"There are two variations for the Heritage Potion," Ember was in full lecture mode, adopting a professorial tone as she rummaged through the storeroom for vials. "In the year 1432, Kjetil Bakke, a famous Norwegian potioneer, discovered that his wife Ingeborg, was unfaithful, and so he spent two decades of trial and error trying to concoct a potion that would give proof regarding the paternity of his son, Kjell. The story's famous in the wizarding community because after over twenty years, Bakke succeeded in introducing the first ever heritage potion to the magical world and the results were… well, it was insanely catastrophic. Ingeborg's adultery was exposed, and it turned out that her son _was_ in fact the product of a No-Maj – a destitute farmer who grew up near her village and happened to be Ingeborg's childhood friend."

The other three were spellbound by Ember's riveting tale, but unfortunately, she was interrupted by the timer's wailing blare, demanding her attention. Bonnie promptly ran over to her side and helped the redhead with the load of vials, both of them setting them on the table in front of the bubbling potion. Next, Caroline and Bonnie silently observed as the twins filled two vials with the potion, pricked their index fingers with a needle, and allowed eight drops of blood into their respective vial.

"Okay, now we shake it for thirty seconds and after ten minutes, we pour our vial onto those parchments," Ember explained, jutting her chin toward a stack of papyrus parchments while she shook her vial. "They're goblin-made and _very_ expensive. That's why heritage potions are rarely made."

Elena beamed once the thirty seconds were up, "Done!"

"While we wait for the ten minutes to be up, can you please, please, _please_ continue the story about that Norwegian guy," Caroline pleaded in a chirpy tone, jumping on the balls of her feet.

Shaking her head in amusement, Ember kept her respective vial safely clutched in her hand and continued, "Where was I… _Right_! So when Kjetil Bakke discovered that his supposed heir was the product of a No-Maj pauper, he went ballistic. He magically restrained Ingeborg, dragged her all the way to her village and forced her to watch as he murdered the love of her life and the father of her son." Elena blanched, Caroline's eyes were as wide as a dragot, and Bonnie looked a bit green, but Ember wasn't done, "He didn't even give her a moment to mourn him. He immediately dragged her over to Kjell's house and slaughtered Kjell, his pregnant wife and two children before he trained his wand on Ingeborg and killed her last. His reasoning was that they were all a product of Ingeborg's treachery and Kjell and his offspring were tainting the Bakke name." Ember smiled bitterly at the horrorstricken expressions of her sister and friends, "I learned it in History of Magic at Ilvermorny. He's notoriously known in the wizarding communities as Bakke the Berserker, 'cause that's guy's _absolutely_ loco."

Blinking furiously, Bonnie choked out, " _Please_ tell me they sent his ass to prison?"

"Oh. No. No, he didn't go to prison. Once he slaughtered everyone, he offed himself," Ember matter-of-factly disclosed; unlike the other three, Ember already went through shock and disgust years ago, so she was over the crazies that existed in the wizarding world, especially when it came to blood supremacists. " _But_ , the Norwegian aurors found his research and published his work on the Heritage Potion."

Elena was looking dangerously pale, "Please tell us there's a point to that horror story?"

"There is. See, in 1851, an Irish potioneer by the name of Laverne de Montmorency who was an expert in love potions and anything related to love, started experimenting. She researched Bakke's heritage potion and naturally, the sad tale of Ingeborg and her pauper hit her hard, so she started looking in on the possibility of concocting a potion, similar to Bakke's, but one that would only show the _magical_ heritage of the subject. Her main objective was to help witches forced into loveless marriage contracts with pureblood wizards to hide their affairs so that there wouldn't be a repeat of Bakke the Berserker. Obviously she succeeded, and hey, Laverne was honored due to her invention of many love potions by having her very own Chocolate Frog. Cool, huh?" Ember excitedly chirped, inwardly amused by the various emotions playing on the three girls' faces. "So… to answer your question, Bon-Bon, Bakke's potion is banned at Ilvermorny. I took Laverne's variation of the Heritage Potion, so it only showed me my relation to the Potters."

"Huh," was all Caroline had been able to eloquently utter, but there wasn't any time to discuss Ember's _lovely_ history lesson as the ten minutes were up.

Ember and Elena sucked in a deep breath and after shooting each other reassuring smiles, they simultaneously poured their respective potion onto two separate papyrus parchments, and the four girls watched with abated breaths and unveiled curiosity as black inky spirals began to swirl and spread throughout the parchments, forming letters and names to portray their entire history tree.

"Oh. My. God!" Caroline and Bonnie breathed out, eyes widening on the familiar names both Ember and Elena's tests had in common, glaring back at them in black, calligraphic script.

* * *

For the second time that day, Elena, Caroline and Bonnie watched as Ember stormed away from them like a person possessed with a destination in mind. This time however, when a livid Ember snatched the papyrus parchment that chronicled her heritage and bolted out of the laboratory toward her car, the three girls were quick to follow and immediately caught up with her, clambering into her Mercedes before she could step on the gas.

"Em, Ember, come on. Just stop the car," Elena begged her, "I think you should talk to John first. Maybe Isobel told him something." Her words made no impact on the furious redhead, which prompted the brunette to urge the other two in the backseat to _say something_.

"Elena's right, Ember. You don't want to open up that can of worms with _those_ people," Bonnie attempted, Caroline nodding in wholehearted agreement, "Yeah, Em. Listen to Bonnie and Elena."

Ember huffed as she made a quick U-turn and barreled down the lane with reckless speed, "You're right, I don't want anything to do with them. Unfortunately, I'm cursed with insatiable curiosity, and I _want_ answers! Uncle John's not home and even if he is, he might not even know about this; and there's no way in _hell_ I'm gonna strike a conversation with Isobel, which leaves only one person!" and without further ado, she stomped on the brakes and shot out of her car, not bothering to wait for the others to join her side.

She rang the doorbell, and for good measure, roughly knocked on the door, and after impatiently tapping her feet against the ground for five, six, seven, eight, _nine_ seconds, the door swung open, and she found herself facing a wide-eyed and open-mouthed Violet Potter. Before she could verbalize her shock, Ember rudely cut in, "This isn't a social call. I'm here to talk to your mother."

"Uh, su-sure, come in," Violet squeaked as Elena, Bonnie and Caroline caught up, Bonnie the only one decent enough to offer the intimidated fifteen-year-old a kind smile.

They could hear a cacophony of voices from the hallway, but Ember didn't care whether she was interrupting an important meeting or not, she _needed_ answers, and _dammit_ she wasn't leaving until she got them. Lily didn't keep them waiting, and she showed up a minute later with a concerned James by her side.

Unbeknownst to them, a couple of Extendable Ears were plastered against the door as the young inhabitants attempted to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Ro- _Ember_ ," Lily softly acknowledged her estranged daughter, confused emeralds staring between the four girls, "What's wrong? Violet told me you're acting quite distressed."

"Yeah, you can call it distressed, or I don't know outraged! Personally, I am _pissed off_!" Ember screeched, yanking the parchment from her purse and thrusting it in front of Lily's bemused face, "Explain _this_!"

Confused, James hovered next to his wife, hazel eyes raking the entirety of the parchment, eyes fractionally widening whenever he came across a familiar name, especially his own. Lily's hand started trembling, apologetic eyes fixated on Ember, "Ember. I'm so-"

" _Don't_!" the redhead hissed as she took a step back, her apoplectic disposition mellowing only when Elena interlaced their hands together. "I just want answers. I don't want some sob story, or a well-rehearsed canard, I just. Want. The. _Truth_. Is that _too much to ask_? For people to stop lying to me! Why didn't you tell me? For months you've been living in my town, trying to maneuver yourself into my life, why didn't you tell me?! Tell _us_!" The last part was definitely a reference to her and Elena.

Lily's eyes were suspiciously wet, her face an open book, depicting her genuine sorrow, "You didn't want to have anything to do with me. And with our history, after all that I've done to you, I didn't think you'd believe me, Ember. I didn't know for sure until we moved here and Elena was identified as your sister." Carefully, Lily returned the parchment to Ember and nodded determinedly to herself, "I'll tell you everything you want to know. No lies. No deception. Just the truth."

"That's all I've ever wanted," Ember snarkily retorted and throughout Lily's tale, the power of her glare didn't soften for even a second.

* * *

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It's been quite a shocking day._

 _Met Isobel. Hated her. And apparently, being a horrible, uncaring mother seems to run in her family (Elena doesn't count!... Neither do I, for that matter!)._

 _Hold on to your seats, 'cause this tale's gonna be a doozie. In fact, if the results … if the_ _ **proof**_ _, wasn't glaring right back at my face, I wouldn't believe it; I'd chalk it up as some elaborate story of pure fiction and laugh my ass off._

 _Turns out, Elena and I_ _ **are**_ _in fact, related by blood. Yup; I said it. Not only are we twin sisters, but we're_ _ **cousins**_ _!_

 _How, do you ask? I'll tell you_ _ **how**_ _…_

 _Lily, my biological bitch of a mother who tossed me out like yesterday's trash is the older sister of Isobel, Elena's whore of a mom who chose everything over her own flesh and blood. Like I mentioned above, they have more in common than just flesh and blood… and being abysmal mothers… nope, they have the same_ _ **father**_ _in common!_

 _So right… story time: Once upon a time (pardon my sarcasm, but I'm in a mood, so bear with me), there lived two different couples who were so in love and ached for a house full of children and the wonderful sound of their laughter. Now, Robert and Rose Evans were lucky, for two years into their marriage, they gave birth to a girl, and they named her Petunia. One year later, they decided they wanted a sibling for darling Petunia and so they kept trying for another child, but another year had passed and still, Rose wasn't pregnant. It put a strain on their marriage, so Robert surprised his two girls with a nice trip to America._

 _Now, on the other side of the globe, childhood sweethearts Alexander and Emma Flemming, were celebrating their five-year anniversary, but deep down, they were depressed, for five years had gone by, and still, their house lacked the joyous sound of children's laughter and the pitter-patter of them running around. A week later, Alexander bumped into Rose at the mall; apparently, he was entranced by her glittering emerald green eyes, as though he had been placed under some sort of enchantment (that's somebody not man enough to admit that he got a boner from somebody that wasn't his wife.)_

 _Another week later, Alexander and Rose bumped into each other again by the park, but this time, their respective spouses and little Petunia were around. Their eyes met and sparkled with recognition. In the spur of the moment, Alexander jotted down a note asking Rose to meet him at the park the next day, alone, and lo and behold, she agreed._

 _You see, Alexander and Rose were both stressed and the inability to procreate a child evoked problems in their marriage, and one thing led to another, they tumbled into bed together and started a trashy affair. But unfortunately, the vay-cay was over, and the Evans had to return to their life in England, but this time, when they returned, Rose was carrying an unexpected bundle of joy in her womb. Naturally, Rose lied and said it was Robert's, and eight months later, Lily Evans was born, inheriting her mother's sparkling eyes and fiery hair._

 _Two years after Lily was born, Emma received the joyous news that she was_ _ **finally**_ _pregnant, and months later, they welcomed Isobel Flemming into the family._

 _Guilt plagued Rose, and after confessing to Robert, she started sending letters to Alexander, informing him of the truth. Yada, yada, yada… blah, blah, blah, an agreement was made and Lily and Isobel were introduced to one another, though other than the title of half-sisters, they were never close. Lily mentioned she gave birth to twins and Isobel told her she was knocked up at sixteen and dumped her daughter with the Gilberts._

 _Isobel apparently died (transitioned to a vampire) and until this day, Lily believed her baby half-sister to be dead (technically, she kinda is, but semantics). According to Lily, she never confided in Isobel about the whole witchcraft gig –_ _ **thank god**_ _! Familial relations aside, Isobel knowing the truth about me and magic (what with her being on Team Katherine and all) wasn't a good thing, so at least my sad excuse of a biological mother did one thing right – other than giving me up, which allowed me to be raised by the Gilberts._

 _Anyways, rambling._

 _So Cliff-notes, Isobel doesn't know about the wizarding world, Lily just found out about Isobel's vampire status, and I just found out that Elena and I are related by blood… oh, and we have two bitches as aunts._ _ **Yay**_ _! I think not!_

 _Elena and I immediately left the Potters (and I had to rudely turn down the old fossil's plea for a crucial chat over tea and crumpets,_ _ **again**_ _!) and confronted Uncle John. Bless him, he was as shocked as Elena and I. But, he did manage to share with us some vital information…_

 _So Alexander Flemming's great-great-great-great-great-grandmother was called Silviya Petrova, and looking back further(as we were searching for Katherine's name), John pointed out a Katerina Petrova, who was, surprise, surprise, Katherine Pierce's real name!_

 _I cannot explain in words how psyched I am to be related to Katherine – and_ _ **yes**_ _that_ _ **is**_ _sarcasm!_

 _Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that Elena and I share blood – not that it would have made a difference – I just could've done without sharing blood with Katherine and Isobel. Ugh, whatever. Uncle John's calling meaning the Banes have arrived._

 _Toodles!_

 _ **Ember Gilbert.**_

All things considered, despite the mounting stress the Gilberts were currently suffering through, the dinner was a success and a pleasant change from all the doom and gloom; inane conversation kicked off, inquiries were made regarding each other's wellbeing, and every one of them adamantly skirted around the issue of the possibility of the upcoming war.

Elena and Jeremy, never one to miss an opportunity to tease their sister, brought up the humorous incident of Ember's first transformation into her animagus form, which was met with jovial, uncontrollable laughter and a half-hearted pout from Reina, who was slightly frustrated over the fact that her best friend managed to succeed before her. Of course, Uncle Greg pointedly remarked Ember should register herself before Aunt Faith started gushing over her unique form, exclaiming that White Arctic Wolves were nearing extinction.

The Animagus Registry in the Magical Congress slightly differed from its British counterpart, yet corresponded with all the other countries in Europe _and_ Africa's registry service. Two registers were in coexistence; a Public and a Private Register. The Public Register was available for public view to ensure that all existing Animagi do not abuse their abilities. However, in contrast, the Private Register existed for important officials, high-ranking MACUSA workers, and the country's aurors to enroll their Animagi forms, kept under lock and key by the President himself and away from the public eye; the system proved to be highly beneficial for aurors in specific, as it gave them numerous advantages over rule-breakers and possible surfacing opponents, and therefore, their animagus forms would not be identified by any opposing factions.

"There is a matter of importance that needs to be discussed, Ember," Gregory prefaced in his signature gravelly tone. "As you know, that moron Fudge was forced to step down as Minister-" Ember nodded once in acknowledgment, "-and Amelia Bones won the election as his replacement. I've attempted to make peaceful negotiations from my part now that England has a worthy Minister with actual brain cells, but for months now, Bones is dead set on meeting with you. I have refused on your part, but the woman is unyielding. Won't take no for an answer."

John clenched a fist, his jaw taut, and Jeremy gritted his teeth, both of them furious on Ember's behalf. Jenna and Elena on the other hand, shook their heads, mutely expressing their refusal at the subject. Processing the unappealing information, Ember's delicate features contorted into a mixture of resentment and irritation, "Tell Bones that I refuse to sit in on _any_ meeting with her backward community." A moment of silence followed Ember's statement, and while she noted her family _and_ Reina's exuberance in regards to her decision, the redhead properly discerned Gregory and Faith's hesitance in the matter. Rolling her eyes, Ember gave in to her damn insatiable curiosity, "What do _you_ propose I do, Uncle Greg?"

"Honestly?" he rhetorically commenced. "Amelia Bones is an exceptional witch of high caliber and her presence demands respect. Before she rose to the ministerial position, she was Head of the DMLE, and as a family from the British Sacred Twenty-Eight, has a seat on the Wizengamot." Gregory paused in his elucidation to take a sip of wine before continuing with fervor, "She is a serious but fair woman, Ember. Unbiased and firm. Unlike Fudge, she never caved into Fudge's corrupt authority, and listens to all sides. Also, she abhors any form of bribery. Other than her niece – who happens to be the same age as you, Elena and Reina, her entire family were slaughtered by the Death Eaters during the First War and never bought the elaborate lies of those claiming to have been enslaved under the effects of the Imperius Curse. She used to be one of the best aurors on staff before she became Head of DMLE, you two would get along well."

Ember inspected the President intently, scrutinizing him and Faith, "Tell me, Uncle Greg. Is this your unbiased opinion as President, or your personal feelings as a friend of Bones?"

Reina's sudden tinkling laughter permeated the air, alleviating the tension in the room. The Gilberts and Faith failed to suppress their smiles as Gregory fidgeted in his seat, cerulean eyes alight with mischief, and his lips pursed in a sheepish line, "You caught me. I don't know _why_ I ever thought anything could get past you, Ember." John choked on his wine, mumbling his agreement, but Ember kept a straight face, not allowing her expression to crumble. " _Yes_ , _Ember_. Amelia and I go way back. Our grandparents entered a pact of alliance and therefore the Bones are friends to the Bane family. _But_ , I would never allow my personal feelings to impact my professional position, and you know this," he slightly chastised the redhead, who shrugged, unbothered and unrepentant. "In the end, the decision is yours to make. However, I have never led you astray, I may be a friend to the Bones Family, but you, all of you, are family to me and my own. I never have, nor will I ever, offer you corrupt advisement, Ember. But I will tell you this, Amelia was sincerely appalled with Dumbledore and the Potters once the truth of your existence came out, and unlike Fudge, she was against the sum they paid to bribe their way out of penalty. In fact, she doesn't fault you for refusing to aid in their war with Voldemort. However, an alliance with her could be advantageous."

Silence ensued as Ember pondered long and hard on Gregory's lengthy disclosure before she finally nodded and impartially said, "I need time to think about it. I cannot rush an answer, I want to take my time, study the pros and cons, and discuss it with my family so that I don't end up making the wrong choice."

Gregory nodded, appeased with the maturity of her response telling by the proud smile visible on his face. And while John and Jenna appeared mollified, Elena and Jeremy were anything but, her siblings obviously holding an obstinate grudge with the British wizarding community on her behalf, deeply touching the redhead.

Now that the particular bomb had been exposed and diffused, the ambience was more lax, conversations were carefree, and desert went by without a hitch.

Shortly after, the Banes prepared to take their leave, leisurely making their way toward the fireplace which gave Ember the perfect opportunity to discuss her theory with the President. The astute man sensed her dawdling in the background along with her deliberate attempts to catch his eye, and therefore, politely excused himself from the group, which allowed the redhead to take him aside and away from any possible eavesdroppers. Before Ember could part her lips, Gregory lifted a hand to halt the process, and in a semi-serious tone, said, "Before we proceed, does this conversation require me to act as your President or your Uncle?"

A bitter smile materialized on Ember's face, "President." Gregory signaled for her to take the stand, a thoughtful frown prominent on his forehead. "Remember what I told you about the Servants of Nature witches, and how the vampires were liberated from entombment? Well, two nights from now, the surviving vampires are going to attack the town, starting with those from the Founding Families. We have a plan, but I fear the witch who placed a protective spell on the vampires, or _any_ witch really, would do so again. I feel that it is my duty to forewarn you that I will be using Fiendfyre as a safety measure, to ensure that they have no possibility to be resurrected."

Despite her insistence, Gregory couldn't help but portray his uncle demeanor, "Ember, you know that Fiendfyre has a mind of its own, is dangerous to control and consumes _everything_ in its path. Why risk it? This is not me doubting your abilities; on the contrary, this is me displaying my concern as both, your uncle _and_ your President."

"I know," Ember placated him with a smile, expressing she was not offended by his words. "But I _can_ control it. I took Dark Arts at Ilvermorny, I wrote multiple essays about it and I excelled in the practical part in a controlled environment. I cannot risk the vampires resurrecting again. No spell can counter bewitched flames; I am left with no other option to protect my town. _I can do this_. Trust me. _Please_."

Gregory exhaled loudly, a pinched expression evident on his handsome face, "Very well. …The moment you conjure Fiendfyre, your magical signature will spike, and Mystic Falls will be a beacon of dark energy until the flames are extinguished. I will order all aurors to stand down and ignore the occurrence. I believe I do not have to warn you about magical depletion?" Ember rapidly shook her head, her expression the epitome of innocence. Gregory gruffly nodded. "Good. Pigheaded Gilberts, the lot of you," he mumbled, prompting a bubble of laughter out of the redhead as she escorted him out of the room. However, before they could close the distance between them and their families, he softly placed a hand on her shoulder, his features warm, "And… for the record, Ember. I _do_ trust you. Never doubt that."

* * *

" _Nooo_. Don't go," Damon whined as he attempted, and failed, to pull Ember back in his arms and into bed with him.

Releasing herself from his iron-clad grip proved to be a struggle; that was, until Ember channeled her magic to pin him onto bed, allowing her to jump out and collect her discarded garments from the floor. Ember smirked victoriously at him as she zipped up her denim shorts and got to work on clasping her bra. Unfortunately, as the redhead hungrily devoured his chiseled torso that, unlike his lower half, the flimsy, white sheet wasn't draped over, she subconsciously lost all concentration, prompting her magic to release the devastatingly gorgeous vampire, and before she knew it, strong arms snaked around her and flipped her onto the bed, Damon hovering over her with a devil may care smirk.

" _Damon_! I've gotsta go!" the redhead protested. Damon shook his head and petulantly buried his face in the crook of her neck, "No. I'm not letting you go until you give in."

Ember knew, and so did Damon, that she could easily manipulate the potent magic coursing through her veins to shove him off of her. However, Ember didn't like wielding her magic as a weapon for every trivial circumstance, especially against Damon… besides; it was more playful this way.

"Baby, come on. I have school. I already missed first period and I'm gonna be late for the second if I don't leave now." When Damon _still_ refused to budge, Ember let out a light-hearted huff and gave it another go, "I skipped first period to have a quickie with you as an apology for ditching you yesterday."

Damon smirked, his bedhead giving him a sexier than usual appearance, "Fine then, if that's the case, then apology _not_ accepted. Maybe I'll forgive you after another round…" and damn wasn't that offer devilishly tempting.

"I promised Care I'd help build the Miss Mystic float for the Founder's Day parade tomorrow. You want me to suffer the Mystic Queen's wrath?" she pouted, emeralds twinkling luciferously.

"No Queen is a match against you," Damon huskily retorted, his electric orbs dilating with lust as he intently captured her gaze, stimulating her and causing her pussy to clench. Those salacious blue eyes stayed locked on hers, his breath brushing against her cheek; potential energy thrummed in the air between them, like an electrostatic charge begging to be earthed, but it was nothing compared to the magic humming and crackling underneath her skin, suffocating her with lust and desire and… _want_.

Whatever comeback on the tip of her tongue ready to be volleyed was promptly silenced when he softly brushed his lips against hers, and all thoughts of school and Caroline Forbes was eradicated from her mind.

She didn't know how many seconds, minutes or even hours came and went. For the longest time, it was just the simple press of lips on lips, soft and warm, silky and velvety; sinuous. He rested a hand lightly on her ribcage, his thumb skimming back and forth over the underside of her bra. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer before parting her lips, welcoming the warm, wet glide of his soft lips over hers. When she flicked the tip of her tongue against his upper lip, an animalistic growl vibrated against her and his other hand slid up to cup her jaw.

Damon probed deeper into the heat of her mouth eliciting a beguiling moan out of her and she quickly returned the favor, their tongues battling with each other. In harmony, they both trailed a hand from shoulder, to stomach, lingering for a moment a hairsbreadth away from their respective nether regions in a tantalizing manner, and–

A phone chimed loudly, the sudden noise breaking them apart, both of them sporting impressive scowls at the unwelcome interruption. "Don't-" but Ember rolled his body off her and stared to scour the room for her unceremoniously tossed cellphone. Damon groaned loudly as he slammed his head backward against the pillow, his erection uncomfortable and leaving him unsatisfied. "That better not be Barbie, or I'll-"

"It's not," Ember cut him off once again, her phone in hand and a frown marring her unblemished face. "It's an unknown number," and not giving Damon a chance to wheedle her into ignoring the call, she accepted it and pressed the screen to her ear, belatedly realizing that Damon would still be able hear everything due to his heightened hearing. "Hello?"

"Hello, Ember," the familiar voice that grated on the redhead's nerve prompted her posture to stiffen, all remnants of her post-coital bliss gone in an instant. "Your breathing pattern changed. Good. That means you know _exactly_ who I am. And this time, I'm gonna do all the talking and you're gonna shut up and listen."

Damon silently abandoned the bed and hurriedly donned his clothes, furious orbs blazing with malice at the caller. Ember's body began shaking with apoplectic rage as she grabbed her lacy top from the floor and crumpled it in her hand.

"Missed you at school. Thought we'd get the show on the road in a nice public place. You see, I stopped caring about collateral damage when my mother was murdered by your _wretched_ family!" Ember could imagine the loathsome sneer on the other end, but she stayed quiet, her eyes never leaving Damon's as he approached her and settled his hand on the curves of her waist as a show of support. "Confronting Elena was risky with Stefan by her side, but young Jeremy on the other hand-" she chuckled darkly, "-oh, it was just _too_ easy. _Pathetically_ easy!"

Ember growled, the sound greatly resembling her animagus form, "If you touch a hair on his head-"

"I TALK! YOU LISTEN!" her banshee-like shriek nearly popped her eardrums. "This is what you're gonna do, Ember. You have _twenty minutes_ to narrow down our location, once your time is up, I'll kill him and collect Auntie Jenna. I believe I overheard her planning to stop by at the Grill to meet up with a friend… Andie, was it?"

It wasn't a lie. There's no way in hell Anna could've known about Andie. Worse, John, Elena, Jeremy and Jenna weren't at home, behind the infallible protection of the wards, and she already laid her grubby hands on Jeremy…

"Put Jeremy on the phone," Ember snarled, a plot already forming in her head. "You want revenge? Fine. But I'm not gonna play your sick, _twisted_ game until I hear for myself that Jeremy's still alive." The redhead mentally counted to five before she heard a pained grunt and her nostrils flared, understanding Anna must have kicked Jeremy hard to evoke such sounds. She heard Anna croon about her waiting on the line and a moment later, Jeremy's wonderful voice met her ears, "Em?"

Damon squeezed her waist just as she let out a sound of relief. "Jer-Bear. Everything's going to be okay, I promise. _I'm coming for you_ ," she meaningfully enunciated, and at that precise moment, her protean bracelet flared, scorching hot against her skin for a nanosecond, Jeremy's location already ingrained in her head.

Not wasting another second, Ember hurriedly threw on her top, squeezed Damon's hand in a pacifying manner and with no warning whatsoever, apparated from her spot, Damon crying out her name, accompanied by Anna's ugly voice echoing in her ear, the last thing she heard before her feet landed in the middle of a decrepit and dusty old shack, emerald orbs staring right at her brother's victorious expression and Anna's shocked one, the phone held limply in her hand.

" _Bombarda_!" Ember shrieked, pointing her wand at the vampiress as she channeled all the power and rage she could muster into that one explosive spell, and watching with dark satisfaction as Anna got blasted backward, resulting in an impressive Anna-shaped wall. There was no point using the powerful variation of the spell, as Ember needed her alive for the moment. " _Petrificus Totalus_!" she cast again before consecutively binding the immobile bitch in chains.

Ember opened her arms, inviting Jeremy for an embrace. The moment he collided against her, their clothes got soaked with happy tears. Luckily, Jeremy's only wound was a sprained ankle, and with a quick incantation and flick of her wrist, his leg was as good as new. "Come on, Jer. Let's bounce," and without further ado, Ember disapparated into the living room of the Boarding House with Jeremy and a petrified Anna in tow, smiling sheepishly at an enraged yet equally relieved Damon.

"Why's she still alive?" Damon inquired, kicking Anna sharply with the toe of his shoe to gauge out her livid expression, just as Jeremy went into another room to call and update Elena before she freaked out over his spontaneous disappearance. Ember slyly smirked, "She's yet to outlive her usefulness. I need to go through her memories."

She forcefully delved into Anna's mind, not bothering to go easy on her; she was a goldmine of information – it appeared that Orphan Annie was honest when she spoke of her encounter with Katherine; the bitch really didn't give two shits about Damon… There was a lot of interesting facets in her memories that Ember wished to explore but it wasn't the time; she'd have to dump everything into her pensieve like she did with Noah and look through them in her free time. Like a book, she flipped through until finally hitting jackpot.

Exiting Anna's mindscape, Ember turned to see Jeremy had joined them, "Jer. Text Uncle John. Tell him the device is hidden in the tomb under Fell's Church." Jeremy nodded and immediately acquiesced as Ember mumbled a few choice words regarding Anna's lack of creativity. She then released Anna from the spell and gritted out, "Your plan was for me to frantically search for my brother, and the minute I walked through the door, you were gonna snap his neck, forcing me to watch him die."

"And it would've worked! _It should've_!" she snarled like a rabid animal.

A mirthless chuckle emanated from the redhead's lips, "You honestly think I'd leave my family without the necessary precautions against murderous bitches like you and your mother?! _Whatever_. I've heard enough. Goodbye, Anna." Anna didn't see it coming, one blink later and her body was engulfed in flames, but before she could curse herself for not ordering her witch to place a protection spell on her in case she ran into difficulties, she was nothing but a pile of ashes on the floor, putting an end to the Anna Chapter of their life.

Ember made a noise of content, "Babe, I gotta go pay a visit to the witch Anna bound-"

"Oh no. No, no, _no_ , you're not going _anywhere_!" Damon snapped, angry eyes fixated on her; unlike Ember, Elena took the time to inform Stefan about the tomb vampires' plan of attack and Damon was _not_ happy. "When were you planning on telling me about this device of massive destruction that is specifically harmful to vampires, including _me_?"

"Are you serious, Damon?! It's our best bet. You actually think I'd let anything happen to you?" Ember's initial anger cooled down upon her realization that Damon was simply scared of getting caught in the crossfire. She slowly stepped forward and hugged him, "Babe, I'm not gonna let you get hurt. Not under my watch. Before the fireworks start, you and Stefan come here, and wait five minutes before joining us at Town Square."

By the end of the eventful day, John managed to gain possession of the device, allowing them all to breathe easily, and Ember apparated over to Margaret Owens' abode, divulging the good news of Anna's _permanent_ death, and therefore, freeing the witch and her daughter from her warpath.

* * *

Ember's action-packed day had yet to reach fruition however, for just as the redhead was about to bury herself under her blanket for a good night's sleep, a pebble impacted lightly against her window.

Frowning at the peculiarity, Ember cautiously made her way over and glimpsed out her window, emeralds narrowing at the indiscernible figure standing in front of the house, and she could tell by the angle of the figure's face, that the person was staring directly _at_ her.

Hoping she wasn't about to make a grave mistake, yet unable to defeat her damn curiosity, the redhead hastily donned a robe over her pajamas, tucked her feet into her black converse she left by the door, and grabbed her wand before she left her room and stealthily descended the staircase, trying not to disturb Uncle John and Aunt Jenna, both of whom were watching a movie on TV.

She kept a firm grip on her wand as she crossed the street, closing the distance between her and–

"Oh, you've got be _freakin'_ kidding me!" Ember huffed, angrily throwing a hand in the air. "What the hell do you want? I thought you'd've been long gone by now!"

"Hello to you too, Ember," Isobel dryly drawled out, dark jades intensely piercing her own bright emeralds. "I presume you got the answers you needed from Lily?" it was posed as a question, but Isobel already knew the answer if her expression was any indication.

Ember pinched the bridge of her nose and threw the vampire a deadpanned look, "I'm not calling you _auntie_."

"I wasn't expecting you to," she calmly retorted, an amused tinge in her voice. "No, you see. I couldn't leave town without making sure the device was in John's possession. I watched from afar as the vampire grabbed young Jeremy. You know, if you and Elena weren't compliant, my initial plan was to keep him hostage. Funny how things work, isn't it?" yes, her voice was heavily laced with dark amusement.

The redhead sneered, not liking the sudden target on her brother's head, " _Not really_. Is _that_ what you came all the way over here to tell me?"

Ignoring her snark, Isobel continued as if nobody interrupted – _hello, rude_. "After she grabbed Jeremy, I decided to keep a closer watch on John. I heard you on the phone with him; I overheard you explain _Anna_ is it? her death along with the device's location. However, I couldn't leave without confronting you… call it a word of advice from the aunt you terribly hate."

Against her better judgment, Ember couldn't help but lean forward, her interest waxed. "Why aren't you imparting 'words of wisdom' to Elena? Why me?"

Isobel had stopped by to say goodbye to Alaric before she made a quick pit stop at Lily's, though unlike her interaction with her ex-husband, Isobel kept her distance from her half-sister and her family. While a part of her would've liked to sneak a parting glance at Elena, she didn't want her façade to crack; she liked living as a vampire with her emotions turned off, thank you very much.

"Because what I have to say, is directly related to you, and it _will_ affect you," Isobel ominously uttered – _ugh, cryptic much?_ "Yesterday, after our _chat_ , Damon stopped by for a visit-" okay, Ember was all ears now. "-he threatened me to leave you and Elena alone. He was…most aggrieved about me hurting Elena's feelings, although in my opinion, she didn't appear to be upset about my presence. The allure of Katherine is too strong to ignore, Ember. Elena shares the face of the woman Damon has loved for one-hundred-and-forty-five years. I do not doubt that Damon Salvatore cares a lot for you, but he _is_ falling for Elena, I saw it in his eyes when he confronted me-"

Ember stubbornly shook her head – Isobel was messing with her head, playing with her previous doubts and she wasn't about to let her win. She _refused_ to be played like a fiddle. "Are you shitting me right now? If this is some harebrained scheme to cause a rift between me and Elena, I'm telling you from now, it's _never_ gonna happen. You know nothing about me, about Damon, about our relationship. Do you think I'm gullible?"

"Take it as my good deed of the day," Isobel carelessly shrugged. "I am warning you from now. I have a short history with Damon. I may not know him as well as you perhaps, but I know his heart. He _will_ break your heart. It's only a matter of time. _Goodbye_ , Ember. I do hope you take my advice into consideration."

She stood rooted in her spot, unable to do anything but watch Isobel confidently walk down the lane and open the backseat of a polished black car. As it drove away and out of sight, Ember was left alone, her doubts and suspicions once again reawakened.

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **John Gilbert – David Anders**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Alaric Saltzman – Matthew Davis**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

 _ **Violet Potter – Maia Mitchell**_

 _ **Gregory Bane – Eric Dane**_

 _ **Reina Bane – Barbara Palvin**_

 _ **Faith Bane – Ellen Pompeo**_

 _ **Qetsiyah – Zoe Saldana**_

 _ **Annabelle "Anna" Zhu – Malese Jow**_

 _ **Isobel Flemming - Mia Kirshner**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **It took me THREE days to put together this chapter and I am** _ **exhausted**_ **! Whew!**

 **(1) As this is the chapter before the finale of Season 1, I made it extra-long to show the important plots for next chapter & Season 2! XD (2) Anna is finally dead, so yes, closing that chapter and all that's left is the tomb vamps. (3) The Banes' visit is crucial to the story… especially the conversation about Fiendfyre & Amelia Bones (who will be playing a role in Season 2). (4) Did you see Elena and Ember as cousins coming?! It was always a plot-twist of mine since the inception of this story. Remember this: Ember has **_**Petrova**_ **blood… ;) (5) About the Heritage Potion… did you like the background of it? I honestly had fun writing it… I didn't want to make everything like canon, and in Harry Potter Universe, everything is mostly concentrated on Britain, so I am spicing things up. Expect more background stories for the magical world! XD (6) Question: When Fantastic Beasts came out, I was already halfway through this story, so I made the concept of the American Ministry similar to Britain's. Do you want me to change 'Muggle' to 'No-Maj' && 'American Ministry of Magic' to 'MACUSA' && 'Minister' to 'President'? Or should I keep it as it is? If yes, I'll start editing. So let me know! XD (7) Did you like the Gilberts plotting together? And how Elena's reaction with Isobel differed greatly from canon? How about the four best friends' dynamic? I loved writing them! (8) The last scene is foreshadowing the fate of Dember… I am sorry Dember fans but they **_**do**_ **have an expiration date. :(**

 **I am still thinking about the Lexi-Plot. I want to make her inclusion different from my "The Doppelgänger Diaries" story. So I'm still thinking about it. But she will be showing up soon, Lexi Fans! XD**

 **R &R.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **A/N:** **Just letting all my wonderful readers know that, I edited the entire story like I mentioned I would last chapter. I incorporated J. K. Rowling's way of addressing the American wizarding community. You don't** _ **have to**_ **read it all over again if you don't want to. It's not a requirement and it's completely up to you.**

 **Happy Reading! =)**

 **Chapter 22:**

Taking note that Damon wasn't waiting for her in front of the Woolworth Building from whatever errand he had to run, like he was supposed to, Ember loitered in the main hall of MACUSA in an effort to kill time. Huffing for the umpteenth time, Ember pulled out her cellphone to check the time – _10:11 A.M_.

"I swear if Damon makes me late, I'll abstain from sex for a freakin' week," she grumbled to herself, tucking her cellphone in the back pocket of her skinny jeans.

The hall was bustling with workers and citizens, and after nodding her head in acknowledgment to a fellow worker for the twentieth time and constantly getting waylaid by some time-waster with inane conversation, Ember scoped her surroundings for a secluded nook where she wouldn't get bombarded with suck-ups who wished to build a rapport with her in hopes of getting in the President's good graces, or simply because she was the famous 'Lost Potter' – a moniker she loathed with a murderous passion; a moniker that very recently came to light after the old fossil's gazillion _failed_ attempts to coerce the President in aligning MACUSA with the war effort against Voldemort in the hopes of bulldozing Ember to submit to the quack's prophecy.

Emerald eyes collided with a particular statue around the exterior of the hall, and after a moment's hesitation, she gingerly closed the distance. Ever since she uncovered her lineage and started working in the Magical Congress, Ember made it a point to avoid the statues of the Original Twelve Aurors like the plague, knowing that her ancestor, Abraham Potter, had been one of them. Ember despised being lumped with the Potters or even _considered_ as one of them, which she knew was unfair and kind of biased of her. Abraham Potter was an honorable wizard, a venerable auror, and an icon to the American wizarding community ever since MACUSA's founding over three-hundred years ago. The Potters were one of the most powerful, honorable and benevolent wizarding families, but due to Ember's personal grudge against James and Lily Potter, she couldn't help but judge them all harshly, automatically likening them to her biological father.

Ember wanted to go places at her own merit, not because of the family she happened to get born into or favoritism or even beauty.

When she started at Ilvermorny, she was just Ember Gilbert, the No-Maj-born who had the honor of getting selected by all four houses and in a short time, gained recognition as the smartest witch in three centuries. Then her heritage was discovered and divulged to a selected few trustworthy figures in the American wizarding community; making matters worse, upon her parents' death, Dumbledore incessantly hounded the President and ultimately, word leaked out about her true identity. Not only was she revered as Rose Potter, the Girl-Who-Lived, but she was practically regarded as royalty for being a descendant of _the_ Abraham Potter.

Emitting another aggravated sigh, Ember roughly dragged a hand through her crimson locks as her other hand reached out for her phone, finally deciding to call Damon and demand he get his ass over _pronto_ when an irritatingly familiar smoky voice spoke up from behind, each word laced with amusement, "What did the poor statue ever do to you?"

Slamming her eyes shut, Ember groaned and slowly turned around to confront the thorn in her side. He stood before her at about six feet tall, all buff and biceps and freaking ripped, his stance cocky and his smile smug. Green mischievous eyes sparkled at her and his damn naturally tousled honey-blonde hair effortlessly stayed above his hairline despite the lack of gel. All in all, he looked like a high-paid supermodel.

"Graves," Ember snarled through gritted teeth, her lips pulling into a fake smile that was utterly painful and taxing. "Don't you have better things to do than annoy me? Like, oh, I dunno, a department to run?!"

 _Ooh, that was definitely a burn! One point to her!_

Any hint of mischief vanished as his green eyes narrowed into slits.

Caspian Graves. Ember's one and only rival. When Ember just begun her first year at Ilvermorny, he was a senior; despite the six-year age difference and the fact that she hadn't hit puberty yet, Ember was ashamed to say that she instantly developed an all-consuming crush on the well-known hottie who was famous among his peers for not only coming from a stinking rich family, but for being the son of Caradoc Graves, the Head of the DMLE, and also a descendant of Gondulphus Graves, one of the original twelve. Caspian on the other hand, disliked her right off the bat, purely out of envy over the fact that she had been selected by all four houses, while he, a _Graves_ , had only been chosen by two. After graduating from Ilvermorny, he immediately landed a job as an Auror at MACUSA, all thanks to his many connections and his background, was voted America's most eligible bachelor for six years running now, and even published interviews for _Witch Weekly_ and _The New York Ghost_. On Ember's fourth year, Reina mentioned in passing that Caspian had been offered a promotion, obtaining the position as Head of the Department for Magical Security, only cementing the redhead's hatred and disgust, as it became obvious to her that Caspian Graves was succeeding in his career and skipping many steps to get to the top of the food chain solely because of his illustrious family – despite his persistent denials.

While her prepubescent crush slowly morphed into hate, Caspian's jealousy escalated upon his discovery that the President's daughter was the best friend of the subject of his ire, only worsening when the President himself started considering the entire Gilbert Clan as not only his allies, but family, a title that, in Caspian's personal opinion, must only be bequeathed to his father as Gregory and Caradoc were childhood best friends. However, their intense rivalry was evoked by the revelation of Ember's biological family and her past. Ember Gilbert wasn't just a bothersome No-Maj-born, but Rose Potter, the _true_ child that vanquished Voldemort, and a descendant of Abraham Potter. And since that unwelcoming disclosure came to light, their rivalry grew to one of epic proportions.

"Today's your day off. What are you even doing here?" Caspian snapped, glaring daggers at her.

Rolling her eyes, Ember drawled out, "Not that it's _any_ of your business, but I had a meeting with the President and-"

"Yeah, yeah. And my dear old Dad," he smugly interjected, crossing his arms against his chest. "Heard _all_ about it. Now that your identity's been leaked, we're about to get all kinds of nasties trespassing on American soil to get to you."

 _Score for Caspian, the pompous little shit!_

This time, it was Ember's turn to narrow her eyes, her crimson hair practically crackling with electricity. Fight fire with fire? Ember's specialty. "Yeah well, your Dad _did_ mention you were supposed to have been a part of the meeting." She then raked his form with a condescending eye and offered him a mocking smile, " _Clearly_ , banging some desperate gold-digger takes more priority than your sense of duty."

 _Ooh, and that was below the belt. Two for Ember_.

"Why don't you go back to playing with your chemistry set and waving pom-poms in the air like a good little student," he acerbically retorted, his lips twisting cruelly. Ember scoffed and her eyes glowed in a replica of the famed Killing Curse. "Really? You're making a dig about me wanting to finish High School? Well, _excuse_ _me_ for actually wanting to _work hard_ to go places and _deserve_ whatever career I choose to excel in. Can't say the same about you, _Graves_!" she sneered.

She took a moment to enjoy the effect her comment had on him as an expression of apoplectic rage started to grace his features before she turned her back on him and walked out – _fuck this! She'll just wait outside_. However, she barely managed to take two steps out of Woolworth before a firm hand curled around her wrist and harshly spun her around, forcing her to face Caspian who suddenly looked entirely too calm for her liking.

" _You know_ , if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jealous. So, tell me Gilbert? You jealous?" his smoky voice turned dark toward the end, emphasizing each word. Grinding her teeth, Ember yanked her hand from his grip and sneered, "Funny, I think you're confusing me with you. You must be losing brain cells with age. It's very concerning for somebody in your position. You should get your noggin checked, Graves."

Caspian growled and went to grab her wrist again.

"Is there a problem here?"

The menacing inquiry was followed by a protective arm snaking around her waist and she automatically leaned back into the warm chest of its owner, her olfactory receptors detecting the aroma of leather, musk and citrus, letting her know exactly who it was. One hand sat snugly on her curve, fingers splayed, and Ember weaved her fingers with his. Despite their rivalry and the fact that she could not stand Caspian, Ember didn't want a full-scale fight to break out between the _admittedly_ adept dueler and her supercentenarian boyfriend who could effortlessly rip hearts out with his bare hands.

Ember decided it was best to alleviate the situation before it got out of hand. "Damon, this is Caspian Graves, my-"

"Boss," Caspian arrogantly put in, cutting her off with a sardonic smirk that did wonders to the redhead's blood pressure.

Shooting him a glare of promised death, Ember ground out, "Actually, I was going to say my 'nemesis', but I'm just gonna go ahead and change my answer to my 'pain in the ass!'" Damon arched an eyebrow and tightened his grip on her waist when Caspian simply responded with a cheeky wink. "Graves, this is my boyfriend, Damon Salvatore."

"Boyfriend, aye?" Caspian smirked, green eyes once again alight with mischief, prompting Ember's heart to plummet as she knew the first-rate jackass was gonna make an antagonizing comment. Nobody but Caspian Graves had a knack for pissing Ember Gilbert off, superbly. "What happened to Tyson? Or was it Tigger?"

A hand flew up to pinch the bridge of her nose, " _Tyler_."

Caspian dismissed her with a wave of his hand and moved to retreat back into building, "Whatever. Anyways, I don't want to keep you two from prom or whatever high school party you've got. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to head in, you know… work waits for no one and I'm a busy man." He threw her one last wink over his shoulder to rile her up and left, disappearing from her sight.

" _Arghh_! I _hate_ that guy! _HATE him_!" she shrieked, throwing her hands overhead before she stormed off to the nearest alleyway to safely apparate herself and Damon back to Mystic Falls, leaving her seething and insanely jealous boyfriend to race after her.

* * *

" _Ouch_ ," Elena crabbily grumbled, staring at Jenna's reflection in the mirror as she tightened the dress. "This dress _hurts_ ," she whined and unseen to the other two, under the puffy train of her Founder's Day dress, she stomped her foot as though to add emphasis.

Jenna patted her back and sent her a commiserating smile, "Suck it in, baby."

Over by the vanity, Ember rolled her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek to stifle her laughter. Elena glowered at her, "I _saw that_! You know, if you're gonna be snarky, you might as well get out until I'm done."

Ember paused in applying her makeup and arched her eyebrow, her disbelieving and slightly amused gaze traveling from Elena to Jenna, and then back again. "You're in _my_ room, Laney! _You_ get out. You're distracting me with your whining and I'm already running late because of Damon's _stupid_ mysterious errand!" she yelled a bit hysterically toward the end. Elena stuck out her tongue in response as the redhead expertly applied concealer below her eyes in the shape of a triangle.

"There, done!" Jenna beamed at her handiwork, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she marveled Elena's beauty. Then, like the concerned aunt that she is, she shot Ember a sympathetic smile, "Em, honey, stop stressing out. You've still got time. You want me to make you some chamomile tea?"

The redhead swiped contour powder along the sides of her nose and near her hairline. " _No_! I need coffee! Lots and _lots_ of coffee," her voice was slightly indecipherable as she moved on to the hollow of her cheekbones. Jenna winked and raised her thumbs up, "Got it. I'll turn on the coffeemaker." and she dashed off.

Elena brushed off imaginary lint from her dress and then proceeded to drag an ottoman across the floor to Ember's side. She promptly sat and rummaged through their impressive makeup collection, making a noise of triumph as she picked up a light gold eyeshadow. "Because I'm so nice, I'll help you," her tone of voice implying that it was a hassle but the quirk of her lips belied her attitude.

Equally sarcastic, though she too had a smile on her face, Ember said, "Gee, thanks, sis."

The twins worked in silence on blending gold, light brown and white on the redhead's eyelids, only interrupted once by Jenna when she pulled through with their coffee. Elena dropped the blending brush and let out a sigh of content, "Done." Ember beamed at her and started on her lashes, slowly swiping on black mascara. "Hey, Em. Out of curiosity, what exactly _was_ Damon's errand?"

Ember shrugged, "Dunno. Didn't have time to ask-"

"Do you trust him?" John's voice suddenly boomed from behind, prompting the twins to let out a yelp, both of them jumping in their respective ottomans. Elena slapped a hand over her chest, "John, _don't do that_. You scared me half to death!"

"Screw that! You nearly made me ruin my makeup!" Ember screeched, double-checking the bottom of her eyelids for any black smudges. John rolled his eyes at the dramatics before shooting Elena a pointed look, "The Salvatores are down with Jenna and Jeremy."

Elena grinned and inclined her head, silently conveying 'message received'. "Alrighty then. Well I'm gonna give them company while you two… Yup, _bye_!" and she elegantly sauntered out of the room.

Dropping the tube of mascara and picking up her lip brush, Ember nonchalantly said, "What's up, Uncle John?"

Sighing, John deposited himself on the ottoman Elena abandoned, his intense eyes fixated on his vivacious niece, "Aren't you curious as to why Damon had some errand to run in New York that so happened to fall on the day you had a meeting with Greg, which also _coincidentally_ fell on the same day as the Founder's Day?"

Exhaling roughly, Ember tried to emulate the picture of calm as she turned to meet John's gaze, "Uncle John, I _trust_ Damon. He's like over a century-year-old, he probably has a ton of friends in the area. I was already heading over there, and it was convenient for him. Damon never gave us any reasons to doubt him." John raised a skeptical eyebrow that prompted her to backtrack, "Well, _recently_. I'm not going to keep on using his past against him. He's turned over a new leaf and is trying to do better. He's a changed man, er, _vampire_. Ugh, you know what I mean!"

Despite his suspicions and the severity of the situation, John couldn't help but chuckle at his niece. She was such a luciferous young girl and her personality was infectious.

"Ha-ha! Laugh it up," Ember deadpanned. "Bottom line, Damon's changed. And until he's given me a reason to doubt him, I'm giving him his privacy."

John sighed unhappily but all the same, nodded in acquiescence – _reluctantly_. "At any rate, I will be keeping a close eye on him. _No_ -" he held a hand up to silence her, "it's my right as your uncle. So, humor me. We're not like other families, Ember. I'm not worrying over my niece dating an older boy, or some kid that got out of juvie. My niece is dating a vampire that's spent most of his immortality without his humanity."

She really wanted to rant and rave and mimic the typical teenagers by wailing that he was being _so unfair_ , but honestly, all Ember could do was burst into laughter at the hilarious comparison. "Wow. Our family's totally whacked, huh?"

"You teenagers and your slang," John grumbled, though his eyes glistened with amusement. Shaking his head, he changed the topic, recalling a certain piece of crucial information Ember had disclosed when she showed up in tears at his door in Manhattan, "I've been meaning to ask, how's the task Qetsiyah gave you going?"

While uncle and niece were having a tête-à-tête, the others were congregated downstairs in the living room. Elena and Stefan were cozied up on the sofa while Jeremy surfed through the channels. Jenna was in her own little bubble, texting Alaric on her cellphone and she only looked up when Jeremy suddenly spoke up. "Dude, what's got you in a mood?"

As though Jeremy's observation was an activation code, Stefan, Elena and Jenna looked over at Damon, curiosity coloring their features. Damon sat on an armchair, his jaw taut and his eyes narrowed on a random point on the wall, but what interested them the most, was his whitened knuckles. Unable to hold his rage in any longer, Damon blurted out, "What do you know about some dickhead called Caspian Graves?"

Figuratively, the temperature in the room dropped considerably upon hearing the taboo name.

"Woah! Hold on a sec," Elena scooched forward to the edge of her seat, creating a small space between her and Stefan. "How'd you know about _Graves_?" she spat the name out, almost like it were acid, her reaction slightly mollifying the rash Salvatore and assuaging the green monster in him.

Jenna, who had been warily scoping the room for a certain redhead, said in a hush, her tone and her expression dead serious, "Word of advice Damon, _never_ _ever_ say that name again. It's taboo."

Damon stared between the three Gilberts – Jenna _is_ counted as an honorary Gilbert – incredulously, waiting for one of them to scream 'Gotcha!' or 'Just Kidding!' or even a 'We got you good, huh?', but it never came. All three of them simply stared back, their solemn gaze unwavering. Stefan shook his head and came to his brother's aid, similarly curious about the unfamiliar name. "Who is Cas-" he quailed under Elena's warning glare, "uh, right, no saying the name. I thought _Tyler_ was the only guy Ember dated."

"Oh, no. _No, no, no, no, hell no_!" Jeremy adamantly shook his head, his face contorting into horror and he warily checked the staircase for Ember before leaning forward, "I mean yeah, Em was sort of obsessed with him- _Ouch_!" he rubbed his head and glared at Jenna, "What was that for?"

Elena stared at the ceiling and made a 'why me?' face before squarely meeting Damon's gaze, who, unsurprisingly, looked infuriated with Jeremy's accidental confession. "Look, Damon. It's not _like that_. When Jeremy says obsessed, he doesn't mean obsessed as in the way you were _obsessed_ with Katherine." Damon shot her a deadpanned glare, not liking the comparison, but Elena stared back, not the least bit intimidated by him as she promptly continued, "Em was ten, new to magic and had only ever been surrounded by the same people from Mystic Falls. _He_ was a senior, popular, rich, handsome; all the girls flocked around him and all the guys aspired to be him. It was an innocent childhood crush. Now? They're enemies. No joke. I mean, there's one emotion that describes Em's feelings towards him-"

Simultaneously, Jenna and Jeremy chimed in with Elena, " _Hate_."

"Surely you're exaggerating?" Stefan gaped at them. Hate was a rare emotion, especially to somebody as pure and kindhearted as Ember Gilbert.

Jenna abruptly shot him down, "Nope. She _hates_ him. And believe me, the feeling's mutual. In Ember's defense, _he_ started it."

"Yup. A-hole got jealous," Elena ground out, the distasteful subject getting her all worked up. "All four houses at Ilvermorny chose her-" she began ticking them down on her fingers, "-she became popular. The President's daughter is her best friend. She's the smartest witch in three centuries. Ended up a Potter by birth. And the list goes on and on and on and… well, you get my point." Elena smirked slyly, returning to her previous place in Stefan's arms.

"But he kept _winking_ at her!" Damon knew he sounded childish, but he couldn't help it. He adored Ember and didn't want anybody to cause a rift between them. She was the first honest relationship he's ever had since _before_ Katherine and he was terrified he'd somehow mess it up, like he always did, and end up losing her for good.

Jeremy blinked in disbelief. "Dude, _really_? He's just trying to rile you up. I'm fifteen, barely have any experience with girls, and even _I_ know that. Stop playing right into his hands."

"Okay people, I'm _reeaadddyyy_!" Ember's chirpy voice resonated from the top of the stairs.

Damon's eyes threatened to pop right out of their sockets and he was rendered speechless as he devoured the redhead, her unparalleled beauty literally taking his breath away.

* * *

Sad emerald eyes observed from afar as her daughter posed in countless of pictures with her friends, the sound of her melodious and exuberant laughter warming her heart, and her infectious smile filling her with regret.

"Lilypad?" James softly called, the sad smile on his face mirroring hers as he risked a wistful glance at the daughter he had terribly wronged. "We can't stay long," he reminded her.

The Potters, the Blacks, the two Weasleys and Hermione were huddled at the Town Square with the mass of Mystic Falls for Founder's Day. Unfortunately, Sirius brought with him grievous news that effectively put a damper on what was supposed to be a fun day out of the house to mingle with the people and just enjoy themselves.

"I know, I know," Lily sighed, tearing her gaze away from her daughter, her niece and their friends. "We have to clear out before nightfall before the vampires come out. But," she bit her lower lip and stared at her husband, "I just want to see Ro- _Ember_ on the float. Let's stay at least until the parade is over, please?"

Sirius attempted his trademark mischievous grin to cheer Lily up, "I don't see why not. As long as we're indoors before the sun sets, we're safe out here."

James and Lily secretly admitted they were jealous of their best friends. Ember opened up to them and was taking animagus training from Sirius, despite the fact that she knew James was one as well. Now that Jeremy had befriended Leo, and as the Gilberts and the Blacks were neighbors, Ember was a constant visitor, and when she informed them about the oncoming vampire attack, she chose to divulge the news to Sirius, trusting that he would inform the Potters in turn. Violet – sweet, innocent, Violet, decided to take the news in a positive light, claiming that at least Ember subtly showed that she at least cared about their safety and didn't wish them any ill-will. Harold didn't share her views regarding the entire matter.

"Look, Mum, Dad, I don't understand why we're still here? Why haven't we moved on?" Harold snapped, bringing up his complaints for the fiftieth time this week. "The secret's out. Somebody revealed Ember is Rose Potter. Voldemort will be coming after her now. Mystic Falls isn't safe for us anymore!"

Leo scowled at his god-brother, "So, what you're really saying is, you want to take the coward way out and ditch town? Some bloody Gryffindor you are!"

"Hey, don't take your anger out on Harry!" Ron was quick to come to his best friend's defense, the adults going completely ignored as the teenagers glowered at one another. "You're just worried about your Muggle friend-"

"Oh shut the bloody hell up!" Cassiopeia sneered, getting in the ginger-head's face. "You're just jealous you suck at making friends! If you want to run away like a coward, then run. Nobody's stopping you. I, for one, am staying right here. I'm not endangering this town, because face it, it's _our_ fault word got out!" she yelled, inwardly smirking when Ron cringed. Not many were immune to her infamous Black temper and she loved abusing that nifty ability of hers.

Violet timidly spoke up, her hazel eyes wide with confusion, "Cassie, what do you mean? How's it our fault?"

Surprisingly, it was Ginny who offered a response, her voice adopting an obvious tone, "Vi, seriously? It's no secret Dumbledore's been doing everything in his power to get Ember to fulfill the prophecy and defeat You-Know-Who."

Hermione bristled, her expression apoplectic, "This is absurd! You're talking about the Headmaster! He would never do such a thing. How dare you!"

Cassiopeia rolled her eyes and inclined her head in Ginny's direction, "She's right. It's obvious, Dumbledore got desperate, all his attempts for negotiation failed, so he used knowledge as a weapon. Ember isn't going to Britain to fight, so he's decided the only way to get rid of Voldemort is by bringing the fight to her, _here_ , in America. Probably even _in_ Mystic Falls."

"Or he'd get a Death Eater to kidnap her and take her to him in England," Leo piped up, his expression furious.

For their part, James, Sirius, Lily and Marlene stood next to their children, gaping at them in unadulterated shock, unable to get a word in as they continued to surprise them with their quick deduction and snappy retorts.

" _Merlin_ ," Marlene gasped, placing a hand over her mouth. "I cannot believe I haven't thought of that before." She whirled around to face Sirius, "You don't think Albus is responsible, do you?"

Sirius's grim expression – no pun intended – was all the answer she needed.

Carol Lockwood's cheerful voice broke into the group's shocked trance, snapping them back to the present and their cheerful surrounding as the parade commenced. "Let's give a big hand to the Mystic Falls High School Marching Band!" Screams and applauds echoed wildly all through the Town Square as the cheerleaders and the Marching Band came into view.

The group numbly clapped their hands together.

"And for a little local history, Mr. Saltzman's students have recreated Virginia's Battle of Willow Creek," the mayor's wife announced as the float rolled down the street. The students in the float waved at the crowd and Leo's grey eyes shone with mirth when he met Jeremy's eye. " _Ladies and gentlemen_ , please welcome our stunning Miss Mystic Falls Court and their handsome escorts!"

James and Lily only had eyes for Ember, her megawatt smile putting the sun to shame as she waved enthusiastically at the crowd, her eyes gleaming with happiness as she stood among her twin, her friends and her boyfriend. Such happiness needed to be preserved and they would do anything for the daughter they abandoned.

"We're staying," James firmly announced, prompting proud grins out of Sirius and Marlene. Cassiopeia, Leo and Violet sighed in relief while Harold stubbornly looked away. "And once we're done here, I'm going to have a little chat with Albus," he angrily concluded.

"This is Caroline Forbes, Miss Mystic Falls. Aren't they beautiful?" Carol exclaimed.

* * *

Recovering from the shocking sight, Ember quickly shut the door with her foot and stepped into the Sheriff's office where John was sitting on one of the armchairs, completely at ease despite the circumstances. Emerald eyes flickered back and forth, from John, to the radiator.

"Okay… I'll bite. Why is Liz unconscious and handcuffed to the radiator?" Ember asked, her insatiable curiosity – _which truly was one of her fatal flaws_ – unable to stay a moment longer in a state of suspense. Elena, who had curiously listened in to the SOS call from John and adamantly tagged along, shook her head in amazement as she stood over Liz's form, peering down at her, "Are those… are those _her_ handcuffs?"

Ember clucked her tongue in mock disapprovement, "Damn. That's cold."

"It is, isn't it?" Elena crooned, "Maybe we should turn on the radiator, let some warmth in."

Like a Tennis Tournament, John's gaze rotated from twin to twin, his expression visibly shocked. "All right girls, knock it off," he silenced them, but his eyes sparkled at them. "I'm surprised. I thought you loved Liz…"

"Oh, we do," Ember and Elena assured him at the same time. The redhead then approached the mother of her best friend and flicked her wrist. Expertly wielding her wand, she made intricate wand movements in zigzag and diagonal motions over Liz's unconscious form, and a cloud of smoke emitted from its tip, a scroll of parchment materializing. Ember made a humming noise as she scanned the only line and chirped, "No concussion. She's just out cold." and then promptly vanished the parchment.

Elena shook her head in awe, "That will _never_ stop being so awesome!"

"Eh, I try," Ember shrugged nonchalantly, turning to her uncle. "So, Uncle John, why'd you knock Liz out? Not that I terribly mind being an accomplice to a crime, you know, attacking the Sheriff…and I'm gonna stop talking now," her mouth clicked shut at the stern look John was giving her.

"Richard's on board with our plan. Liz however… well, as you can see-" he waved a hand in her direction, "she didn't take it as well. Refused point blank," John let out an exasperated sigh, his hand running through his hair.

Ember looped arms with Elena and nodded in a commiserating manner, "So you panicked."

"No," John snorted, and Elena had to bite the inside of her cheek to suppress her laughter. "I decided to knock her out so that you could _tempt_ her to our plan," he subtly disclosed.

The redhead rolled her eyes and immediately got to work, obliviating John's assault from her memory and fabricating one of her approval regarding their badass plan. "Bada bing bada boom!" she cheered, brushing imaginary dust from the kneecaps of her leather jeggings as she got up.

The three Gilberts got to work; while Elena uncuffed Liz, Ember analyzed the room, occasionally flicking her wand when she saw a hint of their presence. Once done, John cautiously lifted her into his arms and deposited her on her chair behind the desk, arranging her limbs in a sleeping position so that Liz would believe she had dozed off for a mo. Before they closed the door behind them, Ember pointed her wand and hissed, " _Rennervate_." softly clicking the door shut as the Sheriff's eyelids began to flutter.

"Thanks Uncle John," Ember beamed up at him, her eyes deceitfully innocent. Warily, John emphasized his words, "For what?"

Elena giddily bounced on her feet, her grin threatening to split her face in half, "Now Ember and I get to cross something off our Bucket List! Isn't that _great_?!"

He froze in his tracks, cocking his head to the side and scrutinizing them intently, suspicion and curiosity bright in his eyes. "And what _exactly_ did you… no, no," he frantically shook his head, his hands flapping wildly overhead, a grimace on his handsome face, "I'd rather not. I really don't want to know."

Telling by the two identical grins of mischief and the sly glint in their eyes, John knew that pleading ignorance was the best course of action when it came to the troublemaking twins, who _really_ , used their innocent smiles and doe-like eyes as their most dangerous weapon of choice in their disposal. The redhead's smile however, slid off her face like grease once the next incident took place – as they were making their way to Grayson's office, where all the rounded-up vampires would eventually be hoarded in, Ember inquired over the device and John promptly abated her curiosity by handing it over. The split-second the device brushed against her skin, Ember clammed up, halted in her tracks and she hissed.

"The magic is depleting," she ground out through gritted teeth. "Somebody's interfering with the Bennett magic imbued in it!" Ember would recognize the signature of Bennett magic anywhere, not just because of her confrontation with Emily Bennett or because she was always around Bonnie, but because of her position as Qetsiyah's Champion.

John and Elena had identical looks of fury vivid on their faces, " _What_?"

But emerald eyes were fixated to a point on her right, squarely meeting a pair of apoplectic hazel-greens only visible to her, that were narrowed into slits of fury. She simply nodded, imparting the redhead's deduction to be correct. Ripping her gaze from Qetsiyah's, Ember turned to her sister and uncle, both of whom were squinting at where they guessed Qetsiyah stood, as though hoping they'd be able to catch a glimpse of her.

"Elena, call Bonnie, tell her to get her Grams and to meet us at Dad's office," Ember barked out. The brunette didn't waste time to acquiesce and whipped out her cellphone. "Uncle John, I'll meet you there, I'm going to get the Salvatores out of here," she handed over the Gilbert Device and watched as he dashed off. Turning to Elena, the brunette nodded, "They're on their way."

Nearly everybody was at the Grill when the twins walked in. Elena made a beeline toward Stefan and Damon, who stood by the bar, while Ember approached Caroline who stood by the pool tables and was attempting to cajole her boyfriend into forgiving Tyler for his inappropriate and totally disgusting make-out session with his mother.

"Hey, Mattie, do you mind if I borrow Care for just a sec?" Ember smiled sweetly. Matt shook his head with a grin, "Nah, I'll go get refills."

Once Matt was out of hearing range, the blonde scanned the redhead's face, her previous bubbly expression turning grim, "Is it time already?"

"Better safe than sorry, Care-Bear. Take Matt. Tyler too," she added in afterthought. "I'll call you when it's all over, kay?"

The two best friends hugged each other tightly, whispered words of cautions in each other's ears and separated. However, to Ember's surprise, when she joined her sister and the Salvatores' side, she noticed the ambience around them was immensely tense and one glance at her twin's face said it all, she was seething. "Hey, what's going on here?"

Not detaching her glare from Damon's cool stare, Elena snarled, "I'll tell you what's going on! _Damon_ refuses to leave. Says he'll take his chances."

"Babe, I don't feel comfortable leaving while you stick around for the fireworks," Damon stared down at her, his voice soft, but his eyes hard, a stubborn glint lurking within. Ember arched a brow, "Damon, we've discussed this already, I can take care of myself. It's you who needs to worry. Once the device is activated, I won't be around to shield you from the deputies. Please, for the sake of my peace of mind, just go with Stefan. Wait in the house, it's only five minutes and then you can come back out and find me."

Damon stubbornly shook his head, "Like I told Elena, I'll take my chances."

Ember's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

It seemed like forever ago, when Ember was first introduced to Damon by a brainwashed Caroline, that her magic acted out and viciously recoiled, her instincts and her magic working together to warn her of the danger Damon posed, of the darkness that lay within him, lurking beneath the charming smile and entrancing eyes. But really, it had only been five months, and in those five months, Ember had come to trust Damon wholeheartedly. No questions asked. She just handed it over after he stopped acting like a murderous jackass and started letting her in.

Today? Now? Right this moment? Her magic and her instincts mimicked its initial assessment of the dark-haired Salvatore, warning her, whispering that something wasn't right, that Damon was hiding something detrimental from her. Unfortunately, they were warring with her heart – magic and instinct battling it out with her heart, the most essential organ that was starting to belong to Damon.

But Ember _was and will always be_ a warrior, an auror, a family girl… She _never_ placed her heart in the driver's seat, _always_ the backseat, her magic behind the wheel and her instincts in the passenger seat.

Decision made, a saccharine smile materialized on the enchanting redhead's face and she interlaced her fingers with Damon's, who looked surprised at the sudden change in her disposition. "Babe, can I talk to you… in private?" she bit her lower lip suggestively and inclined her head toward the bathroom. His lips slowly curled into a sly grin and disregarding the flummoxed Stefan and indignant Elena, the couple hurriedly sequestered themselves inside.

"This is a surprise," Damon grinned, his eyes raking her form lewdly, taking in her beauty; her makeup from the parade still looked perfect as well as her hair, which was styled in Farah Fawcett curls. She wore black leather jeggings and a tomato-red, off-the-shoulder, cropped top that clung to her skin, caressing her figure and showing off her hourglass figure. The red pumps giving emphasis to the entire seductive appearance Ember had going on.

He snaked his hands around her, fitting them snuggly on her killer curves, his eyes dilating with lust and excitement. Ember smiled at him, and if Damon hadn't been so intoxicated by her alluring presence, he would have identified her smile was a sad one. Slowly, Ember's hand traced his abdomen until it rested on his clavicle. " _You_ are full of surprises, Damon," she uttered in a whisper, but before he could question her odd comment, Ember curved the fingers of her right hand into a claw motion and twisted her wrist, wandlessly snapping his neck.

Damon's body hit the ground with a loud _thud_. Ember simply stood over him, her face impassive but her eyes sad. Shaking her head, she left the bathroom and stopped in front of Elena and Stefan.

Stefan looked behind her expectantly before retuning his gaze to the redhead, confusion coloring his features, "Where's Damon?"

"On the bathroom floor with a snapped neck," Ember shrugged, trying to appear undisturbed to them, to no avail. Stefan gaped at her, vehemently taken aback. "Get him away before the device gets activated. _Now_!"

He quickly acquiesced, but not before he placed a chaste kiss on Elena's cheek, leaving the two sisters alone.

Ember arched an eyebrow at Elena, who was happily beaming at her, not at all disturbed at the lengths her twin would go to protect her loved ones. "I knew you wouldn't let Damon get away with it," she grinned. Ember scoffed and threw her a deadpanned look, "Liar."

Elena pouted and crossed her arms together, "Ugh fine, so I was a little bit worried. So sue me!"

"Do me a favor Laney, and shut up."

"You are so _rude_!"

"Bite me!"

" _Ew_. Why would I do _that_?"

" _Elena_!"

* * *

"What's the verdict?" Ember asked.

After sending the Salvatores away, Ember and Elena joined John in Grayson's office, watching as Sheila and Bonnie murmured incantations in Latin with their eyes closed. It only took a few minutes for their eyes to flutter open, Sheila adopting a grim expression while Bonnie looked mad.

Sighing, Sheila handed the device over to John, "It is done. As this device is a Bennett creation, I managed to easily block the interference. If I were another witch it would've taken more effort and time on my part." She then stared intensely at the redhead, "You were correct, it is another witch."

"Can you pinpoint her location?" John inquired curiously, paranoid that the witch would interfere again once he activated the device.

Bonnie offered a response, "To do that, it would take time. We can't use a standard locator spell, it's more complex. We'd have to allow her to interfere again so we can trace the magic and by that time, the vampires would've already attacked."

"Look at you, Bon-Bon, acting all Sabrina on us," Ember grinned.

Elena and Bonnie rolled their eyes in comprehension. It was Classic Ember Gilbert to make jokes in order to alleviate stressful situations. Sheila, on the other hand, ignored the redhead's attempt for humor to quell John's fears, "Do not worry, I have blocked this witch. She no longer has power over the device."

"Thank you, Sheila. Bonnie," John acknowledged them, and with a parting smile, the Bennetts left the scene, not particularly looking forward to being around hostile vampires. He looked over at the twins, "It's time."

Nodding to herself, Ember took Elena's hand and waved her wand, placing a Notice-me-not Charm on both of them so that the deputies wouldn't rat them out later to the Council, preferring to keep their knowledge about the Supernatural a secret for the meantime. They descended the stairs to the basement and huddled in a corner, waiting. Once the five minutes were up, John stood in the middle of the basement and watched as the deputies appeared, disappeared and then reappeared with the unconscious vampires in tow. Ember glowered at them with malice, knowing that they aided and abetted Frederick in his twisted plot to kidnap Elena and Bonnie to use them as leverage, and she fingered her wand, impatiently waiting to fry their asses into crisps.

Once the last vampire had been deposited into the basement, Ember canceled the charm and stepped forward, Elena hanging on to her as she stared with wide eyes at the amount of vampires amassed, "That's…a lot! I thought you, Damon and Grams got rid of most of them."

"Either they've been recently turned to add more to their dwindled numbers, or they initiated others into their ranks," John grimly hypothesized.

A tingling sensation enveloped Ember – _a warning_. She automatically turned toward the direction the ominous feeling was coming from and a loud gasp escaped her lips, her eyes wide. Richard Lockwood had been rounded-up with the vampires and was slowly regaining consciousness. It wasn't the fact that she _knew_ he wasn't a vampire that shocked her, but the vampire that was crawling toward him, a malicious glint in his unemotional eyes.

"What- John? Ember, Elena? What… why am I he-"

The vampire cut off Richard's stammering as he grabbed his chin, forcibly clamping his mouth shut and looking just about ready to snap his neck. Elena gaped, dumbstruck as John grabbed a stake, ready to intervene. Knowing that John wouldn't make it in time, Ember had no choice but to reveal her magic – losing Richard Lockwood, a man who she perceived as a father, was _not_ about to die on her watch. She wasn't about to leave Tyler fatherless and Carol a widow, even at the price of her secret.

" _Petrificus Totalus_!" she shouted, jabbing her wand forward. The vampire became petrified and John rushed forward to pry Richard from his stony grip. Richard trained his intense eyes on Ember, flickering from her face to the wand and back again, confusion the main emotion evident in his face. "Uncle John, Elena, get him out of here. Do damage control."

Elena stubbornly shook her head, giving Ember a look that screamed 'are you freaking kidding me?' "I'm not leaving you!"

"There's nothing you can do, Elena! This part is dangerous. It's not normal fire. This won't be anything like the fire I conjured in the tomb. It's wild and can get out of control. Just please, don't be stubborn, wait for me outside."

The twins then partook in an intensely obstinate staring contest, none of them willing to back down. Until, of course, John, the voice of reason, interjected, "Elena, you're wasting time. I trust Ember knows what she's doing, come on."

Grudgingly, the brunette allowed herself to be led out, trailing behind John and the bemused Mayor.

Steeling herself, Ember squared her shoulders and twirled her wand between her fingers, "Right-o. Let's get rid of you suckers once and for all." Ignoring the groans and moans and their useless pleas for mercy, the witch held her wand aloft, and without a second's hesitation, unleashed cursed fire.

Like water coming out of a hose, the tip of her wand started spitting out fire the color of a poisonous green. She waited a bit more before flicking her wand, prompting a jet of fire to shoot off and mutate into flaming beasts; flaming chimaeras, dragons, manticores, wampuses and, most startling of all, one fiery basilisk rose from the stream of poisonous green flames. A blink later, and the flaming beasts began devouring everything in the vicinity, the vampires getting consumed by the cursed inferno.

Lesson number one when receiving tutelage in Fiendfyre wasthe most common mistake made by inexperienced casters; the teachers had a morbid habit of monologuing about the victims of the cursed sentient fire as a perverse life lesson. Inexperienced casterswould be able to conjure the flames but would have virtually no control over the curse once it had been unleashed, creating a term famously known in the American wizarding community: A Deadly Backfire. Bottom line, anyone could produce Fiendfyre, but not _anybody_ could maintain it, control it, and wield it.

Fiendfyre was infamous for its ability to take a life of its own, rendering its caster useless; Ember however, was no ordinary witch. Fiendfyre may be sentient, but so was the magic that coursed through her veins. Ember's magic was sentient, a separate entity that was deeply intertwined with her and it would _never_ abandon her or lead her astray.

Gripping her wand, Ember focused on her magic, channeling it into the spell,condensing it into a single, colossal animal of her desire: the Wampus. Squinting through the sentient flames, Ember dispersed the flames and slowly, ceased them completely. Her magic kept her upright, long enough for her to root through her purse and pull out a vial of Restorative Draught, downing it down and instantaneously feeling its effects on her as her drained magic slowly came to life again, singing merrily in her veins.

Scanning the barbecued room, her eyes lit up upon noticing the ash left behind. "Ooh! Those might be useful," she murmured under her breath, recalling her Care of Magical Creatures Professor's lecture regarding Ashwinders, and of how they usually rise from the embers of magical fire. She bottled them up and cast a preserving charm on it—

"You did well, my Champion."

" _Eek_!" Ember whirled around, eyes wide and hand clutching her chest, " _Qetsiyah_! _Don't_ _do_ _that_! You scared the bejesus out of me!"

Qetsiyah rolled her eyes and dryly quipped, "I apologize. Next time I'll make sure to wear a bell."

"Hardy-harr!" the redhead deadpanned; who knew two millennium year old witches had a sense of humor. "Why are you here?"

"I thought you would like to know the location of the witch…"

* * *

 _Mystic Falls…_

 _Whoever came up with the brilliant idea to name a town Mystic Falls must've been asking for trouble._

For the last two months, he had taken to prowling through the myriad of wizarding districts throughout America, keeping an ear out for a whisper of her name, to no avail. All his attempts of locating her were futile until five days back, the first stirrings of excitement occurred and there was a furore among wizards and witches, all of them thrilled at the sudden rumor that had spread throughout their community like wildfire.

Suddenly, he detected a spike of black energy pervading the air, followed by a powerful magical signature; a magical signature so potent, it had him salivating. Realizing that somebody must have conjured forbidden magic, he tapped into his unique ability and mentally tracked the residual echo of the spell.

 _Ember Gilbert… the smartest witch in three centuries… a descendent of the Original Twelve… a Potter… the Girl-Who-Lived… the Chosen One…_

Scabior set out to Mystic Falls.

* * *

Furious couldn't even cover the emotion that consumed the redhead upon her alarming discovery.

Slamming the door of the apartment shut, Ember promptly disapparated from New York and appeared in her house's garage. She wanted to scream and rage and break everything in sight, blow off some steam, but even she knew it wouldn't be enough. Not only was she angry _beyond_ belief, she felt so betrayed.

Familiar voices permeated the air, snapping her out of her private pity party; stealthily, Ember snuck out, frowning when she heard Damon's voice, but confusion struck and surmounted when Elena's laughter was quick to follow. Firstly, her sister was currently _pissed off_ at Damon, and knowing Elena, she'd give him the silent treatment for a while longer… _Secondly_ , before Ember apparated over to New York to confront the witch, she found Stefan had rejoined Elena at Town Square.

 _What the hell was go–_

She clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her sharp gasp, stopping dead at the heartbreaking scene playing out on the porch.

Damon, _her boyfriend_ , was passionately making out with Elena, _her twin sister_!

It was wrong… _so wrong_ on _so_ many different levels.

Suddenly, realization dawned on her and with the horrifying discovery, her blood chilled to ice and her heart disintegrated to a million pieces. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't—she tore her eyes away just as Isobel's voice reverberated in her head, her parting message echoing loud and clear;

" _The allure of Katherine is too strong to ignore…"_

" _Elena shares the face of the woman Damon has loved for one-hundred-and-forty-five years…."_

" _He is falling for Elena…"_

" _He_ will _break your heart. It's only a matter of time."_

The heartbreak was unexpected, as Ember didn't think she had fallen for Damon yet. Nevertheless, she felt like he had taken her heart and stomped on it. She felt cold; her heart felt like concrete dying in her chest, suffocating her, and unable to dwell in the pain of watching them for a second longer, Ember tightly clamped her eyes shut and promptly apparated to the first place that popped in mind.

No sooner had their fortuitous spectator _literally_ vanish into thin air did the front door violently swing open, the door nearly coming off its hinges with the intensity of the pull, slamming thunderously against the wall in the process. The brunette's doe-eyes widened in alarm and she jumped backwards, startled. Damon, for his part, looked a mixture of ashamed and guilty, the abrupt interruption bringing him back to his senses.

Jenna glared at them, fires of fury and hatred smoldering in her narrowed eyes, her stony expression unable to completely mask her potent rage. "You should leave, Damon. _Now_!" her voice boomed menacingly.

"Jenna-"

" _I said_ NOW!" Jenna screamed, her finger pointed outside in emphasis. Sighing forlornly, Damon turned around and departed the premises, a sense of foreboding consuming him over what he had done.

Elena offered a tight-lipped smile and awkwardly waved at the incensed woman. "Hi…" she trailed off unsurely.

" _Hi_?" Jenna repeated in disbelief, anger lacing her tone. Hazel eyes raked her form, the frown on her forehead appearing to be permanent. "I thought you said somebody took your stuff?" she skeptically inquired, jutting her chin toward the Founder's Day dress that was tucked into its garment bag and currently sitting on the porch.

Elena shrugged, a smile on her face, "Yeah someone did. I decided to double-check and found them. _Thank god_!"

Jenna stared at her a while longer before she let out a sardonic snort, a twisted smile materializing on her face. "You're going to have to do _a lot_ better than that to pull off a convincing Elena, _Katherine_ ," she sneered, glaring at her with contempt.

* * *

Pub, jazz music, bar food, peanuts, chips; cacophony of voices; men and women mingling and flirting and dancing, some slumped on the bar, some locking lips heavily, their hands dangerously traveling south, groping each other without shame; laughter echoed in hubbub and din, either from the couples in secluded alcoves, or the provocatively dressed woman accepting the advances from the flirting men with lascivious grins.

Ember felt like the odd one out, sitting by the corner of the bar, having picked the stool right next to the wall. She drank and drank and drank – tequila and absinthe her choice of poison – her objective being to get shitfaced drunk until her heart was numbed and her memory wiped. Drained shot glasses clustered around her, the pile increasing by the minute as she gestured at the bartender for refills, " _and keep 'em coming_ " she reminded him.

Footsteps approached as the sympathetic bartender who, if she recalled correctly, was called Max or Rex – something that closely rhymed with it at least – set four shots in front of her.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing sitting all by herself?" a sensual voice asked, and if she weren't going through a heartbreak right about now, just hearing the sound of the stranger's voice would have driven Ember to an orgasm.

Consecutively downing the four shots, Ember, without sparing him a glance, snarkily said, "How cliché of you. I'm sure if you rack your brain hard enough, you'd be able to come up with a better pickup line than that." She then gestured Max or Rex for another refill.

There was silence on the other end, and just as Ember believed the man left insulted, husky laughter rang out. After he had calmed down, he confided, "That may be true _if_ I had initially come over with the intention to _pick_ you _up_ as you so eloquently put it. Now however, you've managed to intrigue me." Surprised at his words, she raised her bloodshot eyes at the man as he took the stool directly next to hers and a frown immediately replaced his half-smirk. "You've been crying."

"What an excellent observation of the obvious," she rolled her eyes.

Despite his concern, a dimpled smile materialized on his face and Ember took the opportunity to drink him in; his accent was American, though she could make out a subtle European accent, just hardly. What entranced her however, was his eyes – eyes the same color as the ocean on a stormy day, blue with tinges of green, grey and silver.

"It's been quite a while since I found myself engaged in a conversation of witty banter," he mused aloud, cutting into her perusal of him.

Circling the rim of a shot glass with her finger, she blandly retorted, "I don't recall engaging you in anything."

His dimpled smile grew wider, "Touché. Would it be considered too forward of me if I were to inquire about your name?"

"Yes. It _is_ considered too forward," she shot back. Throwing him a side-glance, she hesitated for a moment before she softly acquiesced, "Ember. My name. It's Ember."

He extended a hand to her, his eyes dancing happily when she took it, and in a chivalrous manner, one she had _never_ been – until now – on the receiving end of, he lifted it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on it. " _Ember_ ," her name rolled off his tongue so seductively, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her arms. "I'm Nick."

* * *

 **CAST:**

 _ **Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)**_

 _ **Elena Gilbert – Nina Dobrev**_

 _ **Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen**_

 _ **Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning**_

 _ **John Gilbert – David Anders**_

 _ **Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder**_

 _ **Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley**_

 _ **Caroline Forbes – Candice King**_

 _ **Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham**_

 _ **James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson**_

 _ **Lily Potter – Amy Adams**_

 _ **Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey**_

 _ **Marlene Black – Blake Lively**_

 _ **Harold Potter – Daniel Radcliffe**_

 _ **Cassiopeia Black – Ashley Benson**_

 _ **Leo Black – Zac Efron**_

 _ **Hermione Granger – Emma Watson**_

 _ **Ron Weasley – Rupert Grint**_

 _ **Violet Potter – Maia Mitchell**_

 _ **Ginny Weasley – Bonnie Wright**_

 _ **Sheila Bennett – Jasmine Guy**_

 _ **Matt Donovan – Zach Roerig**_

 _ **Liz Forbes – Marguerite Maclntyre**_

 _ **Carol Lockwood – Susan Walters**_

 _ **Richard Lockwood – Robert Pralgo**_

 _ **Qetsiyah – Zoe Saldana**_

 _ **Scabior – Nick Moran**_

 _ **Caspian Graves – Alex Pettyfer**_

* * *

 **A/N:** **The end of Season One! YAY!**

 **So many things happened… and I am so psyched for the next chapter! Season Two is going to be jam-packed with action, drama, secrets && many, many surprises!**

 **(1) POOR EMBER! Dember Fans I apologize! But I did say that they had an expiration date…so don't say you didn't see it coming.** _ **However**_ **, it's going to differ from Canon (you'll see what I mean next chapter, it'll all make sense)! (2) Caspian Graves? If you haven't watched** _ **Familiar Beasts**_ **it won't make a big deal, his character will be self-explanatory.** _ **But**_ **, he plays a pivotal part in my story from Season Two onwards ;) (3) Did you enjoy the latest Gilbert-Family Dynamics? I do enjoy writing them. (4) So Dumbledore made his move…** _ **finally**_ **, huh? Ember's identity is out and there's no turning back. Like I mentioned before, starting Season Two, we'll get more involved in Harry Potter Universe. Oh and** _ **BTW**_ **, Dumbledore is NOT, I repeat** _ **not**_ **evil, he's just… intrusive and set in his ways. (5) I saved Richard Lockwood! That has been a plan since the beginning.** _ **Also**_ **, like I mentioned before, this story of mine won't just be focusing on the teenagers and their action-packed lives, but the adults as well, and I wanted to add Richard in the dynamic. I'm taking it as a personal challenge of mine, inducting Richard into the crazy life of Mystic Falls. ;) (6) Can anyone guess what Damon's 'errand' was? (7) Katherine's here!** _ **Ahhh**_ **! I'm sure you're all wondering how Jenna realized she wasn't Elena, and it's pretty obvious.** _ **HINT**_ **: Reference to Noah… ;) Who's Noah? Anna's accomplice.** _ **Remember him**_ **? XD**

 **NEXT CHAPTER:** **The first episode of Season Two will** _ **most probably**_ **be VERY long! There are so many events happening in one episode & I don't want to split it in half. So, if any of my readers hate long chapters, I apologize from now.**

 **I've got a** **POLL** **for y'all, and it'll take effect for the next fifteen chapters: Should I have Isobel killed off or not?**

 **R &R.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

 **Chapter 23:**

It was a sight to behold. A sight that psychiatrists examining patients diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder would salivate at the prospect of witnessing firsthand and itch to snag them as a patient, if, of course, said patient wasn't a manipulative, centuries-old vampire that would most probably rip the head off of the first psychiatrist that even uttered the word 'treatment'.

If Jenna were to describe such a sight in the simplest terms, she'd go with "like a switch had been flicked."

Knowing that her cover was blown, Katherine dropped the Elena-façade at the drop of a hat, doe-like eyes that shone with innocence mere seconds ago, hardened, and began to scrutinize the palpably furious woman before her with a hint of interest, a sly smirk curling on her lips, one that didn't bode well, with a gait compared to a catlike grace. "Interesting," the added emphasis to the consonants rolling off her tongue made her sound more and more like a feline while regarding its prey, and it took a lot of energy for Jenna to muster to repress a shudder at the disturbing sound. "You know," Katherine stated, cold eyes calculating. "I wasn't expecting that," her last statement was spoken to herself, a tinge of irritation bleeding through her composed tone.

Acting nonchalant, Jenna, still safely ensconced behind the threshold, leaned her hip against the open door and snarked, "Maybe you should've had your little spy Isobel do a background check on the entire family. Would've saved you a lot of trouble instead of making a useless detour over here for an invitation you'll _never_ receive." A flash of anger passed through the vampire's eyes, and if Jenna hadn't been warily observing her, she nearly would have missed it… _Nearly_.

Composing herself, Katherine cocked her hip to the side and lazily scrutinized her manicured nails. "Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to call it _useless_ , Jenna. Ask Damon," a Cheshire smile erupted on her face and Jenna felt her anger boil, the blood rushing to her head. "It's the strangest thing… I could have _sworn_ we had an audience, but before I had a chance to identify our little guest, the feeling of being watched just…vanished. _Odd_ ," she hummed, again, mostly speaking to herself while intently scrutinizing Jenna for a reaction.

Jenna paled; while it remained a mystery to Katherine, Jenna knew _exactly_ who happened to fortuitously stumble upon the two vampires mid-make out. There was only one person that had the ability to escape a vampire's radar and _literally_ vanish into thin air – Ember. A few words carelessly thrown around by Katherine painted a vividly clear picture for Jenna; Ember apparated, probably to the front lawn or the garage, only to be welcomed to front-row seats of Damon's betrayal, and her heart clenched in sorrow for her niece. She subtly glanced at her protean bracelet, knowing that Ember would be of no use to the precarious situation, as her niece was no doubt, shitfaced drunk, drowning her sorrows in some random bar somewhere in America, far from Mystic Falls, and beckoning her intoxicated niece might end in her splinching herself. _No_ … _it was best to leave Ember out of it_.

"I'm curious," Katherine's sultry voice snapped her out of her reverie, and Jenna glared at the vampire who, in her personal opinion, bore no resemblance to Elena, despite the fact her niece _was_ Katherine's doppelgänger. "How did you know it was me?"

She internally scoffed – _how could she_ not _know_?

While the wards warned Jenna of an incoming visitor that posed a huge threat approaching the house, magic aside, not only did Katherine lack a distinctive protean charm around her wrist, but Elena was currently with Stefan and Elena would rather rip her own heart out than stomp on Ember's by kissing her boyfriend. Apparently, Damon didn't know the twins as well as he'd like to believe, for they would never betray each other in such a disgusting manner. They would not betray each other, _period_! However, despite the plethora of obvious reasons she mentally listed, Jenna _knew_ her nieces, one look at Katherine – even if she hadn't cut into her kissing session with Damon – she would instantly recognize the person that wore her niece's face wasn't her niece. Perhaps the saying was true after all: the eyes really _are_ the window to one's soul.

"You seem to be under the misconception that I'd be willing to give you a better advantage for the next time you decide to impersonate my niece," Jenna retorted heatedly, lips pursed into a thin line and soft hazel orbs smoldering with hate. Before Katherine had the chance to part her lips, ready to volley some form of ill-veiled threat, the distinctive sound of a gun cocking resonated from behind her. Katherine managed to identify a satisfied smile materialize on Jenna's face, eyes locked onto the newcomer, before she swiftly turned around to acknowledge the person's identity, her stance poised for either fight or flight.

The man's familiar face glared back at her, recognition flickering in her eyes just as a deafening _BANG_ pervaded the air, and a bullet neatly lodged itself into her chest, a hairsbreadth below her heart. The gun cocked again, threateningly.

" _John_ ," Katherine hoarsely choked out, arranging herself into a kneeling position as she attempted to extract the bullet, wincing at the pain. Another figure stood nearby, staring down at her with wide eyes, "And you must be Jeremy. I'd say it's a pleasure but-"

"Why are you here, Katherine!?" John snarled, cutting into her would-be monologue, flinty eyes never wavering from her person.

With a victorious yet pained groan, Katherine succeeded in pulling out the bullet; she eyed the crimson spot on her shirt and emitted a fake sigh, "I liked that shirt, John. You know… I initially stopped by for a chat. Now, you've pissed me off…"

She lunged at John as the gun went off again. This time, however, Katherine was prepared and she easily ducked the bullet's trajectory, fluently knocked the gun from his grip and grabbed his wrist, all in the span of three seconds, before she lazily twisted it, the telltale _crack_ of broken bones echoing in the air and sounding like music to her ears. She disregarded the littlest Gilbert and the sassy aunt's exclamation as she prepared to finish John off with his own gun – _ahh! The irony_ – when all of a sudden, a pained grunt emanated from her lips as white dots infiltrated her vision courtesy to being on the receiving end of one of the most painful aneurysms she had ever been inflicted with. Having become immune to most witches' spells due to her age, the level of pain and power inflicted upon her allowed Katherine to identify the witch – Katherine would never forget the powerful aura a Bennett Matriarch exuded; after all, it was the reason Katherine sold Emily out and condemned her to a fiery death once she had surpassed her usefulness.

Cradling his limp arm to his chest, John ignored the flaring pain and turned around, sending an appreciative smile to Sheila Bennett, her dark mahogany orbs practically searing a hole into Katherine's head as she bombarded her with a constant stream of nonverbal pain infliction spells. The vampire's agonizing screams went up several decibels, grabbing the neighbors' attention as the Blacks rushed out of their home, eyes widening on who they believed to be Elena, writhing and screaming in insurmountable pain on the front lawn. Twisting her wrist a fraction, Sheila snapped Katherine's neck, putting an end to the disturbance and blanketing the vicinity with silence.

"You- _you_ just _killed_ Elena!" Marlene screeched in hysterics, staring fearfully at the three Gilberts and the old dark-skinned woman who stared back at her with a fierce look in her darkened orbs.

Sighing wearily at the mess Katherine jumpstarted, John went to appease them, holding his hands aloft in a peaceful gesture, only to groan in pain and wince, having had forgotten about his broken arm. Jenna scrambled out of the house and ignored their unsolicited audience as she started fretting over John and Jeremy. Wordlessly, Sheila delicately moved Jenna from her way and allowed her hand to hover over John's arm as she incanted an unintelligible spell, instantly healing his broken bones. Once done, the Bennett Matriarch inclined her head in acknowledgment to John's gratitude before facing the three flabbergasted and one hysterical neighbor, " _That_ is not Elena Gilbert."

Cutting into what looked like the beginning of an inquisition, Jenna addressed Sheila while John opened the trunk of his car and began rooting through it, beckoning Jeremy over. "How did you know Katherine was here?"

"Throughout my childhood, my ancestor Emily sporadically visited me through dreams to prepare me for Katherine's inevitable arrival. She always expected Katherine's return to Mystic Falls. Emily feared Katherine would succeed in binding another Bennett witch to her service. The moment the device reached a diminuendo, I sensed Katherine encroach the boundaries of Mystic Falls. I knew Katherine couldn't pass up the opportunity to gain an invite into her shadow-self's home," Sheila ominously stated. Her impassive expression soon turned into one of annoyance at the irksome background noise the neighbors were making as they watched John and Jeremy bind Katherine in vervain-laced chains. "Young man," her stern gaze flickered to Sirius and she pointed an offending finger at the vampire that was about to be dumped into trunk of John's car. "Like I said just a moment ago, _that_ is not Elena Gilbert. That is Katherine Pierce. I have no time to educate you in vampire history-"

"Besides, Elena's at the hospital," Jeremy suddenly piped up, dragging the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead as John closed the trunk. Sheila nodded, having already been informed by Bonnie about the car accident before she rushed over to join Elena and Stefan at the hospital. Jenna's shocked orbs flickered between Sheila, John and Jeremy, all three of whom looked grim. "And you're telling me this _now_ , because…" she trailed off angrily, hands on her hips.

John looked unperturbed, "We were kind of distracted by Katherine showing up out of the blue. We were on our way to tell you and Ember." A frown puckered on his forehead as realization hit him and he scrutinized his surroundings in confusion, "Speaking of… _Where_ _is_ Ember?" After all, the wards would have warned her, like it did them, of their sinister visitor, and he knew Ember would've been the first to appear on the scene to assess the gravity of the situation.

Jenna looked away. She didn't want John to find out with an audience. "You let me worry about Ember. You two go deal with Katherine," she held John's gaze until he reluctantly nodded and clapped Jeremy on the shoulder, both of them clambering into his jeep and driving off. "Sirius, Marlene, I _assure_ you, I would never harm my niece. I'll explain everything tomorrow." Uncertainly, the parents acquiesced and steered their bemused children back into their house. Lastly, Jenna offered Sheila a benign smile, "Mrs. Bennett, would you like to come in for a cup of tea, or maybe perhaps a breather?"

Patting her hand kindly, the old witch shook her head, "Thank you for the kind offer, Jenna. But I'd prefer to wait home for my granddaughter."

Alone in the quiet house, Jenna snatched the handset of the landline phone that sat on the kitchen island and punched in Elena's number, and while she waited for her niece to pick up and explain _why_ she was in the hospital, she stared sadly at her protean bracelet, cursing Damon Salvatore in her head and praying that Ember was safe.

* * *

To conclude Elena's overall mood: she was not a happy camper.

She stood huddled in the hospital's waiting room with Stefan and Bonnie, waiting for an update from Liz in regards to Caroline, her bubbly best friend who was currently in surgery. Elena, while obviously worried about the blonde, held onto hope as the protean bracelet weighed comfortingly on her wrist; worst case scenario, Ember would pop on over, heal her with her nifty charms or her wide selection of ingenious potions, and if that didn't work then, _well_ … luckily, the blood coursing through her boyfriend's veins had mystical healing properties, so to reiterate her internal musings – Elena wasn't too worried about Caroline's diagnosis.

Elena _did_ start worrying however, when her ninth unanswered call to Ember went straight to voicemail.

 _Ember better have a good reason for ignoring her!_

"By any chance, Bonnie, did you hear from Ember?" Elena inquired in what she hoped was a casual tone. Apparently her calm façade wasn't fooling Stefan. Bonnie, on the other hand, looked perturbed, "Last I heard, she was gonna check on whatever interfered with the Device. But… my Grams seemed _off_ when I left her."

Suddenly, Elena's cool disposition morphed into concern. " _Off_?" she murmured, her gaze drifting to her bracelet, thinking about pressing the Dragot and giving herself peace of mind, when Stefan uttered Damon's name. Looking up, Elena saw the elder Salvatore part ways with a distressed Liz to join them, shooting her indecipherable looks that frankly, creeped her the hell out, and she shifted closer to Stefan's side, seeking his warmth. Ember's boyfriend or not, his behavior at the Grill was unacceptable, and she wasn't particularly in a forgiving mood.

The blaring of Elena's cellphone broke the silence, prompting Elena to jump at the sudden disturbance. Her expression paled at the Caller I.D., "Crappity _crap_! I completely blanked on updating Jenna." Excusing herself quickly, she made sure she was far from vampire hearing distance, deliberately avoided Richard's unnerving gaze as he left the hospital with Tyler, and answered Jenna's call, ducking behind a Hummer for privacy.

It was amazing what one short phone call could do to a person. Elena's already rocky mood plummeted and her anger surged, comprehension hitting her like a freight train as the valuable information Jenna bestowed her with succeeded in connecting all the dots. The tension reeking from Damon, the meaningful stares he kept giving her, Ember's frightening silence...

 _That Bastard_!

Hanging up and storming toward the trio, Elena's rage dissipated when her despondently sobbing best friend barreled straight into her arms, her face buried in the crook of her neck. "What happened?" she inquired in trepidation. Stefan spared her a miserable look, and heavily sighed, "It's Caroline. She's weak. They don't know if she's going to make it?"

"She's _going to make it_ ," the brunette adamantly retorted. Tearful hazel-greens met her determined gaze with unmitigated hope. " _Ember_!" Bonnie breathed out in realization. Elena shook her head; unfortunately Ember wasn't an option. Her twin was God-Knows-Where and depressed, her to-do list consisting of getting hammered _only_. Her hand reached out for Stefan's, chocolate orbs narrowing when Damon tensed at the tender act. "Stefan. Can you…can you give Caroline some blood? Just enough to heal her," Elena hastened to reassure Bonnie.

Surprisingly, Bonnie was fully onboard with the plan, "It's actually perfect. She'll be safe here and it will be out of her system in a day." The two best friends aimed Stefan with the full force of their watering, pleading eyes. Damon let out a derisive snort when Stefan hesitated. "I can do it. It's no bother," he offered.

"No," Elena snapped in clipped tones, not sparing him a glance. Warm chocolate orbs that, just a few seconds ago, were brimming with tears, hardened at the sound of Damon's voice, and an empath wasn't required to sense how _furious_ she was. Eyes blazing, Elena never disconnected her gaze from Stefan's perplexed one, "I want Stefan to do it."

Damon narrowed his eyes on the brunette who had her back to him. The moment Jenna interrupted them, Damon was hit with a ton of guilt and shame and self-hatred, knowing that once again, he had something good going for him and he, like he _always_ did, incredibly fucked it up. He didn't just cheat on his compassionate, strong, kind-hearted and loving girlfriend – a girl that accepted him despite his past and many fuck-ups – with just _any_ girl, but with her twin sister, his _brother's_ girlfriend. It was unacceptable and unforgivable, and Damon was fully planning to grovel and do just about anything to gain her forgiveness and work for her trust. _However_ , it takes two! Elena messed up as well. _She_ , if memory serves correctly, kissed him back with equal amount of passion and absolutely _no_ hesitation on her part. Treating him like the plague wouldn't absolve her guilt and frankly, Damon found Elena's behavior childish.

Bonnie frowned, having noticed the tension between Elena and Damon, "Okay. What's going on between you two?"

Adorning a mockingly pleasant expression, Damon pointedly stared at a red-faced Elena, "Yes, Elena. D _o tell_. Unless, of course, you'd prefer I spill the beans-"

Quick as a whip, the brunette spun around, a hand held aloft, palm open as it swung and forcefully impacted with the side of the raven-haired vampire's face, the collision resulting in a resonating smack that rendered everybody but the incensed brunette into silence. Like a deranged woman possessed, Elena lunged to strike Damon again, but Stefan, his reflexes sharp, wound both his strong arms around her waist and dragged her away from his stumped brother. A surprised grunt sprung forth from Stefan's lips due to the unexpected amount of strength the sylphlike brunette caged in his arms possessed and he actually had to apply a bit of his enhanced strength to keep her at a respectable distance from his brother. "Let go of me!" she snarled and spat, thrashing almost aggressively from between his arms.

While Stefan attempted to cajole Elena into a more calming disposition, Damon took a step back, expression comically set in shock. Bonnie's eyes widened, having only seen Elena act so aggressively in defense of Ember, and suddenly, the pin dropped, comprehension dawning on her. The witch whirled around to confront Damon with an impassive stare, her arms folded against her chest, "What did you do to Ember?" Her inquiry seemed to have broken a dam, setting the future confrontation into motion.

Sneering, Damon glowered at the bitch before his narrowed gaze traveled to the wrathful girl still trapped in his brother's embrace. " _Me_? Why do you automatically assume _I_ am the wrong one here? Ask your perky little friend there what _she_ did! I'm not the only one going down here, Elena! You're as much to blame for all this as I am!" he spat, a maliciously vindictive edge in his tone.

A contemptuous laugh emitted from Elena; a laugh that sounded so dark and bitter and so unlike the exuberant, kind-natured girl. " _Me_? What _I_ did?!" she sneered, her olive complexion flushed red with rage. "You know… I'm kind of torn. I don't know if I should feel _pissed off_ or insulted. I'm pissed, yeah, you _cheated_ on Ember! You knew about her insecurities, how Tyler made her feel not good enough because he _constantly_ cheated on her! She trusted you with her heart!" Bonnie and Stefan gaped at Damon whose expression contorted in pain at Elena's brutal, yet totally honest words. "I'm more insulted though, because not only did you think I was capable of cheating on Stefan, but _betraying my twin sister_ , the other half of me, in such a despicable way!" Elena snarled through gritted teeth and as the implication weighed heavily in the air, Stefan found himself numbly releasing Elena from his strong hold.

" _What_?" Damon choked out, confusion the main emotion of his visage.

Shaking her head in angered disappointment, Elena enunciated, "It wasn't me. The moment the Device stopped, Stefan returned to the Town Square. We've been together the _entire time_ , up until Bonnie called about the accident. Then we came _straight_ _here_. You didn't kiss me, I would _never_ do that. _Ever_! It was Katherine." Sharp intakes of breath met her revelation. "I guess congratulations are in order, you're finally reunited with your psychopathic ex," Elena sarcastically concluded. Shaking her head, she bitterly added, her gaze piercing disbelieving electric blues, "You wanna know what else? Ember saw _everything_. Good luck getting in touch with her!" Turning around to Stefan, her voice wobbled as the events finally caught up to her, "Can you please heal Caroline."

Wordlessly, Stefan nodded and disappeared deeper into the hospital, wanting to distract himself from the hell that went loose in less than an hour.

* * *

Awareness gradually snuck up on her as she started to regain consciousness, and as she roused from a heavy slumber, her mind was overlapped with innumerous thoughts, but two particular and simultaneous realizations stood out the most; one, her head was pounding _brutally_ , almost as though an elephant had made itself comfortable on her forehead, and two, in her entire life, she had never before now, physically felt so content and _sated_ , her body burning with emotions she didn't have the time to decipher.

Note for next time, _horrible idea_ to mix tequila and absinthe!

 _What she would do for a Hangover Potion right about now…_

Glossing over her killer migraine and the fact that her throat felt like sandpaper, she allowed her senses to explore and hopefully deduce her current condition and location. In an effort to prolong the moment, her eyes remained stubbornly shut as she soaked in the warmth radiating from two different sources. A lean chest spooned her, all muscles and packs and _impressive_ pectorals brushing lightly against her back, exuding the most addicting warmth that made her toes curl; one strong and firm hand attached to what felt like a perfect arm with well-defined biceps and triceps, splayed on her toned stomach. Disregarding the stranger plastered to her back for the time being, her senses dug deeper for the second source of warmth – the sun's rays. Its dazzling and inviting rays flowed through the window and into the room, providing warmth to her body.

Luck was clearly on her side; in a state of deep sleep, the stranger unpeeled himself from her and rolled over, his breathing pattern slow and relaxed, clearly unresponsive to the beckoning sunlight, and therefore, allowing her the chance to regain mobility without the risk of awakening him and _most importantly_ , avoid the morning-after awkwardness with forced conversation.

 _…_ _Morning_?

Her blissful musings came to a screechy and abrupt halt as her mind finally caught up to her, memories she succeeded in postponing with her poison of choice attacking her in droves as the events of last night replayed _nonstop_. Awareness reluctantly recovered, lids that were leaden with sleep snapped open violently. Suppressing a groan, she shielded her face and squinted as streaks of potent sunlight penetrated the window, blinding her. Keeping in mind her slumbering bedmate, she stealthily sat up, dragged her feet off the bed and rubbed her knuckles onto her eyes.

Scrutinizing the Adonis lookalike she vaguely recalled leaving the bar with last night, she found herself overwhelmed with disappointment and longing, wanting nothing more than to jump him, straddle his delectable body and engage in a round of mind-blowing wake-up sex. Unfortunately, crudely put, she forced herself to think with her head _and not_ her vagina. Therefore, she mustered her addled and intoxicated brain into casting a nonverbal silencing charm as well as a notice-me-not, ensuring the gorgeous stranger continued to sleep undisturbed, at least until she had created an acceptable distance from the suite that, if she were to be perfectly honest with herself, felt like her own piece of heaven.

As she hurriedly donned her haphazardly strewn clothes from the cream-carpeted floor – her G-string left behind as a lost cause due to its transformation into confetti – vivid images from last night assailed her. Electricity coursed through her the moment she accepted his extended hand and let him steer her out of the pub, hormones shutting down her brain; despite being two complete and _utter_ strangers, every kiss had a raw intensity, skin moving softly together like the finest silk, and her body writhed uncontrollably with every powerful and intense thrust, her moans—

The sensation was _indescribable_!

From the moment the door slammed shut, it was all passion, intense, _intoxicating_. It was her release, her escape, and… what frightened her the most, terrifying her deep down to her core: _her drug_.

Truth be told, she had been under the assumption, a preconceived notion she realized, that sex for her would be fundamentally ruined. After all, who could best a vampire who had been around for over a hundred and fifty years with all that experience under his belt? Clearly, she was _grossly_ mistaken.

Emitting one last sigh, emerald gems brushed every sliver of skin on display as though committing to memory every aspect of the gorgeous stranger. She slipped into her red pumps and grabbed her purse, giving her unruly curls a toss to send them cascading down her back instead of the bedhead, after-sex do she was currently sporting. Sparing one last look at the stranger, determined to have him seared on her memory, Ember twisted on her spot and soundlessly vanished, leaving the slumbering man with nothing but her first name, the scent of her arousal that still pervaded the room and the sheets, and the memory of their memorable night.

* * *

Morning dawned in Mystic Falls and the Gilbert Residence was in a state of unrest.

Sleep did not come easily for any of the inhabitants, and in Elena's case, it completely eluded her. A short kip was out of the question, not when her twin sister was in some unknown place, highly intoxicated, and most probably, with some nameless stranger doing the horizontal tango.

The moment the sun rose, Elena abandoned all pretenses of trying to get in some shut-eye and kicked her blanket off of her restless form. Arranging herself into a sitting position on the edge of her bed, the brunette sighed and reached for her cellphone, hoping, to no avail, that Ember sent her a text of her whereabouts or at least some goddamn clue stating she's simply _alive_! A simply text saying she needed space would suffice, or ' _I am not dead_ '. But _no_ , apparently that's _too much to ask for_!

A noise emitted from her lips that sounded like a strangled sob and a growl as she jumped onto her feet and tossed her cellphone onto the springy mattress. Swiping her forearm across her face, it shone with a few tears and she stomped over to the adjoining bathroom to shower and freshen up for the day.

Fast forward two hours later, Elena was pacing in the living room, her third mug of steaming coffee in hand with John, Jenna and Jeremy in the background, unwilling to break the tense silence until finally, the brunette whirled around to face them and gritted out, "I don't get it! None of us contacted her but she _would have_ sensed the ward's alarm when Katherine approached the house!"

"We all felt the alarm. But it didn't last long because Jenna immediately refused her entry," John calmly elucidated, his expression belying his tone, just like the calm before the storm. None of them were deceived by John's exterior, they knew he was biding his time and practicing utmost patience for any word of Ember before he turned his murderous rage onto Damon Salvatore.

"Sweetie," Jenna softly prefaced, her features haggard with unsatisfactory sleep and worry for her missing niece. "Ember already knew Katherine was here." _Bingo_! Those six words had Elena meet her hazel gaze with imploring eyes and Jenna knew she had hit the jackpot. While Elena was, _without a doubt_ , deeply concerned for the wellbeing of her twin and the condition of her emotional state, underneath it all, the brunette was genuinely terrified Ember believed it was _she_ and not Katherine she had caught in an intense make out session with Damon, and that she was capable of such disgusting betrayal.

Jenna's reassurance was like a balm to the open wound that had been festering since last night's revelation and Elena felt herself sag in relief.

Jeremy blinked in shock and shook his head, "Wait one second. _That's_ what got you freaked out, Elena! Are you kidding me? It's not just Ember, Lena! _None of us_ would have mistaken you for Katherine if we were the one to walk in on them last night. I can't believe you let yourself get so worked up about it." And with one giant sniffle, Elena lunged at her baby brother, allowing him to fold his arms around her for a desperately needed sibling embrace. Silent tears cascaded down her face as she spoke her next words, voice muffled due to the fact that her mouth was pressed against his _seriously impressive_ pectoral – _like_ _when did Jer get so buff?!_

"Damon didn't think so."

John, Jenna and Jeremy glared at that and, his voice shaking with barely concealed rage, John said, "Yeah, well, I always had a bad feeling about that Damon Salvatore. Knew he was up to no good. I'm just sorry that _this_ was how he proved me right."

After successfully assuaging the brunette's recent, deep-seated fear, the Gilbert household got sucked into a whirlwind of activity as visitors, all of which demanded answers to different set of questions, arrived on their doorstep. The easiest conundrum the Gilberts needed to tackle, where the Blacks and the Potters, who were immediately informed of the recent bewildering events; the wand-wielders were given a summarized history lesson about Katerina Petrova, of how she was not only Ember and Elena's vampiric ancestor through Lily and Isobel's paternal side of the family, but Elena's doppelgänger who had a certain proclivity for impersonating her, especially to rid herself of the threshold barrier by garnering an easy invite. They were advised to always keep vervain on their person and to _never_ _ever_ invite Elena into their home using words in the off-chance it was Katherine.

Lastly, before the two families departed, John parted Lily with words of caution, "You, especially, need to take care around Katherine. She always keeps a lookout of her descendants and she's already bonded with Isobel. Her curiosity regarding you might lead her to your doorstep, or she might try and get you alone. Be on your guard and whatever you do, _do not_ underestimate Katherine Pierce. She's a tricky one."

Unsettled, James' arm tightened around his wife's waist, "I thought you said you locked her up?!"

Grimly, John stated, "Like I said. She's Katherine Pierce. Underestimating her would be naïve."

"Then why don't you just _kill her_. Permanently get rid of her," Sirius demanded, struggling to keep his infamous Black temper at bay. John's patience was starting to reach its limits; while he didn't mind the Blacks after hearing their side of the story and that they took no part in Ember's abandonment, and while he learned to tolerate them simply for Ember and even Jeremy's sake due to his recent friendship with Leo Black, the same couldn't be said for the Potters, and hearing Sirius question his decision on keeping Katherine alive, it irked him because as much as he wanted to, he _couldn't_ , not without consequences, and right now, Katherine needed to be kept alive for bait… _bait for a much powerful and more threatening adversary._

Attempting for nonchalance, John cryptically responded, "In due time." Seeing Sirius and James weren't about to back down, he snarled, "I don't need to explain my reasons to the likes of you." And with that, their 'guests' departed, leaving his family to stare at him, each of them donning various inquiring expressions. Sighing, John dragged a hand down his face and in a much calmer and friendly tone, said, "I promise you, I have my reasons. Katherine will eventually due, but not yet. I have a plan. _Trust me_."

And they did. Despite their differences, Jenna and even Elena had learned to trust him without hesitation, especially after his remarkable plan to get rid of the Tomb Vampires worked.

When Stefan arrived shortly after, he had honestly been expecting the cold treatment, especially for John to project his feelings regarding Damon onto him. One would think, after everything Damon's done over the past century, that Stefan had long gotten used to bearing the brunt of the consequences and the havoc Damon generated in his wake. But much to the vampire's surprise, John portrayed no ill-will towards him, merely sent him a nod of acknowledgment and continued puttering around, sending messages to his contacts for word of Ember's whereabouts or wellbeing.

But the visit the Gilberts anticipated the most, arrived last, and much to their luck, Richard Lockwood arrived just as Gregory Bane answered John's call in the form of a Floo Call. Just as Richard, his face set in determination, demanded them for answers in relation to the inconceivable act Ember performed last night, Gregory's face popped out of the _unlit_ fireplace, the suddenly roaring fire outlining his head. A loud, startled yelp emanated from the Mayor and he staggered backwards, away from the confounding sight, wide eyes transfixed at the flaming face in horror.

A sigh pervaded the deathly quiet, tension-filled room and with a comical roll of his eyes, Gregory's face pivoted around to meet John's sheepish expression, " _Another one_ , John?"

As a form of explanation, John sheepishly shrugged, "He's the Mayor, Greg."

The entire layout of John's hastily formed plan was conveyed in that short moment and with those pointed words. Gregory's head let out a humming noise of contemplation and while Elena was torn between horror at the dilemma they were currently facing, her orbs flickering occasionally to the horrorstruck and speechless Mayor, she couldn't help but feel amused over her boyfriend's comical reaction, this being his first time to witness the Floo Network utilized as anything other than a mode of transportation. On the other hand, Jenna and Jeremy had identical smirks on their faces, and only Jenna made an attempt to subtly hide her amusement with her hand. John emitted a huff of mock-tolerance upon detecting the mischievous glint flash across Gregory's eyes, knowing that the President was enjoying Richard's reaction more than a man of his position should. But then again, Gregory Bane was famously known as the most laidback, though formidable, President in MACUSA's history.

"All right. I trust your judgment, John. I'll have a contract sent out. Expect it same time tomorrow. I assume you'll read him through it, yes?" it wasn't a question, and John knew it.

The Contract; due to America's catastrophic past with the No-Maj population, upon the revocation of Rappaport's Law in 1965, President Vera Grady enacted a new law, claiming that in order to build better relations with the No-Maj Community and their Government, they were to be sworn to secrecy by the form of a magically binding contract, no excuses and no exceptions made, not even to the family of the No-Maj-borns, and The Grady Contract was _fully_ endorsed by the public.

Spluttering, Richard, having regained his bearings, snapped, an almost hysterical tinge in his voice, greatly impressing Elena and Jeremy, "What in the _hell_ is this, John? Is this, is this some kind of a-a _joke_?"

Jenna approached Richard and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "There's a really good and _fantastical_ explanation to all this, Richard. Just relax. Take a deep breath and _calm down_." Richard switched his disbelieving stare onto her, wordlessly shaking his head in response. He had come here in the hopes of some _believable_ explanation to the _unbelievable_ feat Ember exposed that aided in saving his life, but _this_ – a man's head appearing out of a fireplace, _surrounded by flames_ , _alive_! and conversing naturally with the Gilberts as though it were an everyday occurrence? He hadn't been expecting _that_ , not even in his wildest dreams!

"Before I leave you to that mess, Johnny," Gregory transferred his attention onto the head of the family, his previous mirth replaced by a somber mood. "About Ember… now, while she no longer has the Trace on her, all wand carriers must have a wand permit, but naturally, you know that," John nodded at the knowledge and signaled for him to proceed. "When I received your distressed calls, I personally stopped at the Wand Permit Office and Federal Officer Norman tracked Ember's magical activity to the Terrace Suite at 11 Howard no less than eight minutes ago. I already sent Caspian to check it out and bring Ember home."

Elena groaned, prompting all eyes to be fixated onto her, snapping Richard out of his daze and distracting John from his anger, unable to fail in connecting the dots as to _why_ Ember's location was at a five-star hotel in the most expensive suite. " _Anyone_ _but_ _Graves_! You know that those two _do not_ get along. She'll never listen to him, mostly out of spite."

Gregory shot her a cheeky smile, " _Ahh_ , but Caspian _is_ the best at what he does." As he bid farewell to John, Jenna and Jeremy, Stefan squeezed Elena's arm and offered her a comforting smile, "Don't worry about Ember, I've got a plan."

The brunette arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend, curious and bemused as to what his mysterious plan could be that would succeed in getting through Ember's stubborn skull, but before she had a chance to ask, Richard snapped, his stern orbs detaching from the empty fireplace to pierce John.

"Care to explain _what in God's name_ is _going on?!_ "

* * *

Hands tucked in the pockets of his charcoal-grey overcoat that contrasted spectacularly with his naturally tousled honey-blonde hair, the tips dancing softly with the cool breeze, green eyes glared at the exterior of the grandeur five-star hotel with ill-veiled hostility and a tick in his jaw that belied how tightly his teeth were clamped in annoyance.

He was a respected Auror. He succeeded in climbing to the top of the hierarchy and held a high-ranking position that no twenty-three-year-old could even _hope_ to achieve, not for two more decades. He was the _Director_ of one of the most important departments in MACUSA, a somewhat second and third-in-command to his father, the Head of the DMLE, and the President _himself_ , respectively. Many departments fell under _his_ purview as Director of the Department of Magical Security. But what Caspian Graves was _not_ , was a glorified babysitter, especially when it concerned his nemesis. He should be arranging taskforces and barking out orders, heading into the field to dispatch the impending filthy Death Eaters that arrogantly planned on trespassing on American soil. Instead, he was sent to SoHo in search for a certain spoiled brat so he could drag her back to her idyllic home, kicking and screaming if need be. What irritated him the most, was that this irksome task could have been delegated to any newbie intern, but unfortunately, the President asked it of him _as a favor_ , and when the President called, you answer, and when he demanded something out of you, you have no choice but to obey.

His upper lip curled in disgust at the mere image of what he would be walking into. However, he decided to look at the bright side – the thought of interrupting Ember and her latest beau before she could reach climax had an evil grin materializing on his handsome face and he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. His most enjoyable pastime, especially during work hours, was to rile up Ember Gilbert and watch the various emotions, ranging from hatred to forced tolerance to pure annoyance, flash across her face.

Caspian entered the lobby and rode the elevator to the designated floor, effortlessly bypassing the private keyed elevator with the simple act of flashing the desk clerk the No-Maj version of his badge that asserted his position as a federal agent. Eyes wide, the woman immediately turned compliant as she called the Terrace Suit's landline, making a show of 'garnering permission' for him.

From an academic perspective, Caspian conceded the man had an air of sophistication to him; he was handsome, his features aristocratic, and he held himself with an easy confidence and nobility, one that even the most bigoted Purebloods – _naturally, of the British breed_ – would have a difficult time emulating. Once he had completed his mental evaluation of the man's bearing and appearance, a sudden thought stood out and Caspian blurted out in palpable confusion, "You're not her boyfriend."

An eyebrow shot upwards in polite confusion, "I beg your pardon?"

Shaking his head, Caspian laced his fingers behind his back and professionally stated, "I received intelligence that Ember Gilbert was in this very room, not even fifteen minutes ago. Bright crimson hair, large emerald eyes, olive complexion, about five feet, six inches tall. Not exactly the kind of girl you could mistake in a crowd."

"And if I may ask, _what_ would an agent of your rank want with some ordinary girl I picked up at a bar," his tone was neutral though the corner of his lips quirked in distant amusement. The only sign of Caspian's surging annoyance was the slight narrowing of his eyes as he realized this man was no witless shmuck, but an intellectual in possession of a sharp mind. Clearing his throat, Caspian rearranged his lips into a tight-lipped smile, "That's classified."

"Hmm. I see."

The man, _Nick Forrester_ , Caspian's mind supplied, measured him with a calculating glint in his oceanic eyes, his gait casual, and he appeared wholly unperturbed by his attempt to intimidate him into compliance. Finally expelling a breath, Nick curtly nodded and drained the remnants of whatever crimson-colored juice he had been drinking before he held it out expectantly and not even a second later, a bland-looking girl hurried over to his side, released him from the burden and disappeared deeper into the impressive suite.

Caspian deftly masked his surprise… _Just how rich is this guy?!_

"Regrettably, I wish I could be of more help, but you seem to be more knowledgeable of the enchanting Ember than I," Nick grinned wolfishly at him. "All she supplied me with was her first name and neither I nor my help noticed her departing the suite."

It took every fiber in his being to maintain his impassive composure, his annoyance reaching epic proportions. _Of course not! She effing apparated!_

Flashing him another tight-lipped smile, Caspian asked, "Can I trouble you for the name of the bar?"

* * *

The antiqued brass bell over the door chimed, signaling the first customer of the day.

"Well, well, _well_. Look what the wind blew in," the bartender from last night's shift put down a glass and draped a dishcloth over his shoulder before resting his forearms on the granite bar-top, ice-blue orbs sparkling at her. Despite the Jackie-O sunglasses shielding her unforgettable emerald eyes from the sun, he would recognize her anywhere. It's not like she could ever hope to go anywhere incognito with that unique head of crimson hair standing out like a sore thumb. "I remember you… correct me if I'm wrong but, shouldn't you be barricaded in a bathroom puking your guts out?" he smirked.

The redhead tapped her index and middle finger to her right temple and added a slight bit of pressure as she approached the bar. Groaning, she none too gently deposited herself onto a stool, draped her purse onto its back and then proceeded to slam a pack of recently bought Marlboro onto the counter. She unsealed the packet, placed a cigarette in the corner of her mouth, sucked life into it with a lighter and proceeded to inhale deeply, letting the smoke seep into her cells. She sucked the smoke deep into her lungs, remembering but not caring about all the warnings in regards to the nasty habit she adopted after her parents' death. _Ahh_ , how she missed the comfort the cancer-stick provided her with. No questions asked, the bartender raised both hands and placed an ashtray in front of her, watching as she removed the cigarette from her pink lips and sensually blew the smoke in the air.

"Walk of shame that bad, huh?" he smirked after she exhaled her third puff of smoke.

Ember scoffed, sliding her shades upwards until it perched on her head to squint at him. "It's only called the walk of shame if you get kicked out. _I_ , on the other hand, left voluntarily without Nick's knowledge. _Also_ , I am totally not ashamed of what went on last night, so…" she shrugged, a sinful smirk on her plump lips. "Not really a walk of shame. If you wanna call it something, call it the walk of pride 'cause hey, I got some," she winked.

Surprised laughter emanated from the bartender's lips. Flicking his nose, he crossed his arms and leaned them on the bar-top, "Cocky. _Very_ cocky."

"I'd prefer the word, _confident_ ," she retorted smartly, not missing a beat. She took another drag of her cancer-stick, "Now, how about you be a dear and take my order. Vodka on the rocks."

"You're kidding. _Please_ , tell me you're pulling my leg," he blurted out, both his tone and his expression bleeding with disbelief. "Sweet-pea, you should be on the floor or better yet, an AA Meeting. For Christ's sake, you nearly drank me out of a bar last night and you want _more_!?"

She shot him a deadpanned look as she crushed the end of the cigarette butt into the ashtray and instantly lit up another one. " _Dude_! Ever heard of 'hair of the dog'?" she sounded incredibly judgmental and she knew it. When she received a blank stare in response, she threw a hand into the air and huffed, "You are _the_ _worst_ bartender in _the_ history of bartenders! No self-respecting bartender is ignorant of hair of the dog! It's my top two favorite hangover cures, man."

Shaking his head rapidly, he put a hand in the air and started ticking off, "First of all, it's not like I grew up _wanting_ to be a bartender. It's just a job, not a life choice. Two, that phrase is complete bullshit. Hair of the dog? _Hah_! That's an excuse made by day-drinkers soon to be alcoholics who need an excuse for drinking that piss and look good while doing it-"

Interrupting his headache inducing ranter, Ember snapped, " _Look_ , Max-"

"It's _Jax_ ," he snippily cut in.

Rolling her eyes, she waved a hand absentmindedly, " _Whatever_ -"

"Now that's rude," Jax huffed in mock offense, a hand splayed over his heart. "You don't remember the name of the one person that slaved to feed your addiction last night."

"Wanna know what else is rude? _Interrupting people_ ," she hissed good-naturedly. Truth? She was quite enjoying the battle of wits with Jax, though she really, really, _desperately_ needed a drink, and if he didn't place a glass of vodka on the rocks in front of her, she'd pummel his face with her fist, _or_ go for the less volatile method and go round the bar and serve herself. "Besides, I barely remember _anything_ from last night. You should know, since _you_ were the one that kept 'em coming and got me shitfaced."

Propping his elbow on the bar-top, Jax smirked and settled his chin on his closed fist, "R _ii_ ght. You barely remember _anything_ , _except_ for the name of the guy you left the bar with."

An absolutely devious smirk curved onto her lips, set of pearly whites in full display as she lewdly crooned, "Well, of course I remember _his_ name. I was screaming it. _All._ _Night._ _Long_ …"

Before a dumbfounded Jax could offer a rebuttal or even wrack his mind for one, the bell chimed and a smoky voice permeated from behind, the unforgettably _irritating_ familiar voice grating on the redhead's already non-existent nerves, "I so did not need to hear that."

Her eyes slammed shut and her head dropped down, her forehead hitting the bar-top with a _thunk_. " _No_ , no, _noo_. Anybody but _you_!" Emitting a noise that was a mixture of a huff and a growl, Ember lifted her head, whipped around and, as her fingers angrily carded through her crimson hair, her forgotten pushed-back sunglasses went flying to the ground. " _Ahh_! _Why_ are _you. Here_?!" she snarled, glaring poisonous daggers at the bane of her existence.

"You're not the guy from last night," Jax's offhanded commend was not taken well. Both Ember and the stranger wrinkled their noise in disgust and simultaneously snapped, " _That's disgusting_!" Again, Jax raised both hands in the air, gesturing for the universal signal for peace, and, much to Ember's delight, Jax must have taken pity on her: he grabbed a short-glass, scooped ice into it and poured a decent amount of Zodiac before he promptly slid it to her. "You look like you really need it, sweet-pea," he smirked.

"Eugh. I change my mind. You, my friend, are my favorite bartender. Bottoms up!" and without further ado, Ember knocked the drink back in one go, astonishing Jax and even Caspian. Slamming the empty glass against the table with unnecessary force, the redhead giggled and eagerly exclaimed, " _Encore_!"

Caspian's hand shot forward and grabbed the glass and slid it over to Jax, meeting his ice-blue gaze with a piercing one of his own that had the ability to reduce grown men into tears. "No more. Whatever tab she has, close it-"

"The _fuck_ do you think you are, _my father_? 'Cause newsflash, _Graves_ , he's dead. Now bugger off and leave me to mope in peace," Ember sneered through gritted teeth, unshed tears brimming in her entrancing emerald orbs. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Caspian ripped his gaze from the beguiling witch and attempted to revive their customary mocking banter, "No, but your family's worried, harped on the Prez for your whereabouts and I was sent out to track you down." He then let out a mirthless chuckle, "They must be desperate to call me, huh?"

Lighting up her third cigarette, and after inhaling and completely ignoring Caspian's expression of utmost distaste, Ember scoffed, "Please. I bet you anything it was all Uncle Greg's doing. For some confounding reason, he's determined to make us get along. Like _that's_ ever gonna happen."

Nodding, Caspian fervently agreed, "Not even in a million years."

Having no customers to serve as he wasn't in any rush to provoke the intimidating newcomer, Jax disappeared into the kitchen to prepare for the early risers, and therefore giving the witch and wizard some privacy. After an awkward moment of silence, Caspian scrutinized the redhead intently, taking in her bedraggled state and the subtle signs of tears, "So… why'd you pull a Houdini?" When her only response was a noncommittal sound, he decided to provoke her, "Cheating on your latest boy toy? Didn't think you were the type, Gilbert."

" _I'm not_!" she snarled, her fists bone-white at the insinuation. She must have gotten infected with verbal diarrhea, because she started spilling her guts to her least favorite person _without_ her express permission, " _He_ cheated on _me_ , okay?! Apparently, I attract cheaters. Yay me. But Damon? Damon takes the damn cake. He cheated on me with my _alleged twin_! I'm barely stopping myself from spearing him on a stick and roasting him to well-fucking-done over a pit!"

"Damn girl, you got a lot of rage. Let it out," a warm voice, full of laughter, exclaimed from the doorway, the bell chiming belatedly. Ember and Caspian whipped their heads to confront the eavesdropper and Jax's head poked around the swiveling door in case he was needed to serve the customer. Ember gaped, and the gorgeous blonde smirked, both arms extended for the anticipated hug. "Missed me?" she cheekily inquired.

Ember squealed in unadulterated joy, dropped her cancer-stick in the ashtray and flew over to engulf the girl in a massive embrace. " _LEXI_!" Warm brown eyes crinkled in a smile, her face radiant as she hugged the redhead with fervor. "What are you doing here?"

A drawl interjected from the kitchen's doorway, "I'm guessing you're not here for breakfast or drinks?" Amused, Lexi shook her head, prompting Jax to roll his eyes in exasperation and head back inside, muttering under his breath about not running a sorority.

"Who is this?" Caspian frowned at the blonde, his senses telling him she wasn't a witch or a No-Maj. Tugging the blonde vampire towards the bar, Ember briskly introduced them, "Graves, Lexi Branson, vampire. Lex, this is Caspian Graves, colossal pain in my ass."

The wizard glared daggers at her, "I can have you fired, you know."

The redhead scoffed and threw a hand in the air, "No you can't. You weren't the one that hired me, bozo." And not giving him a chance to retort, she turned to beam at the vampire, "What are you doing here? I _refuse_ to believe that _this_ is a coincidence."

"That's 'cause it's not," Lexi shrugged, studying the packet of Marlboro and locking eyes with the adamant redhead in amazement. Shaking her head, Lexi decided to tackle the witch's unhealthy addiction later; she already knew about Damon's deplorable, yet if she were completely honest with herself, _expected_ action last night, and she wanted to be there for her friend. Ember needed a shoulder to cry on, a person to vent to, and somebody to set her straight, not booze and men. "You know I live around this area with Lee. So when Stefan called and said you'd be somewhere around here with some guy you don't get along with, I couldn't refuse."

Caspian sagged in relief, "Thank Isolt. So you'll take care of her?"

Lexi embellished with a hand, "Yeah. No problem. I'll make sure she gets home in one piece."

"Uhh, hello. I am standing _right here_ , and I don't need anyone to babysit me. I can just apparate back-"

" _No_ , you most certainly can _not_ , Gilbert," Caspian interrupted, horrified. "And you call yourself an Auror," he snidely muttered. "Let me explain something to you in simple terms. You apparate to Mystic Falls, I'm gonna have to fine you and temporarily confiscate your Apparition License."

Stomping her foot, Ember sneered, "Why?"

"AUI," was his dry retort, a cynical eyebrow disappearing under his hairline.

Ember blinked, her lips slightly parted in shock. "Wait that's _actually_ a thing. I thought Auror Carac was pulling my leg!" she exclaimed, genuinely surprised. Meanwhile, Lexi breathed out in awe, "This is like, _so surreal_."

Caspian stared at the ceiling in a 'why me' gesture before fixating Lexi with a solemn stare, "Get her to her family, please. _Preferably_ in _one piece_." Receiving the necessary affirmative, Caspian quickly fled the bar and, after seeking seclusion in an alley, disapparated to MACUSA.

" _What_?" Ember demanded, hand on her hip and eyebrow arched. Lexi shrugged, lips twitching in a smile, "He cares about you." Her amusement was amplified by the redhead's comical reaction and her quick denial. "Uh, no. that's not _care_. That's hate. And _trust me_ , the feeling's mutual."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Em."

The duo departed soon after. Ember bid adieu to Jax and followed the blonde to her car. The vampire played dirty, giving her an offer she couldn't refuse. Since Ember was in no rush to return to Mystic Falls and deal with Damon the cheating, good for nothing, man-slut, Lexi suggested they take the long way back, taking her car and stopping for a nice lunch on the way and therefore, giving Ember an extra day of avoiding the inevitable.

On the car ride over, Ember listened in fascination as Lexi confided in her that her witchy-friend Bree finally succeeded in generating daylight rings for herself and Lee, a frown slowly materializing on her forehead as she realized a few things didn't add up, awakening a newfound suspicion.

* * *

Darkness had fallen, eradicating the last dregs of light from the tomb.

Disinclined to spend another night in the formerly vampire-infested hovel John had her stashed into as a sick sense of irony and poetic justice, Katherine thrashed around viciously, ignoring the searing burn the vervained shackles inflicted upon her.

For the entirety of the day, she plotted numerous fantasies of vengeance that started with chopping off John's fingers and draining Jenna of her blood, and ended with the decapitation of little Gilbert. She already damaged the heart of her doppelgänger's twin, and poor, precious Elena's comeuppance would arrive in due time. Damon lost the redhead he was so infatuated with and Stefan… well, Stefan was going to learn a crucial lesson soon enough.

The twisted images her imagination conjured vanished upon hearing the distinctive sounds of approaching footsteps and thirteen, fourteen, fifteen seconds later, a muscular, broad-shouldered shadow fell upon her.

Deceitful chocolate orbs lifted to meet the man's cobalt gaze and she smirked, "You're late."

 _Freedom and sweet, sweet vengeance was on the horizons…_

* * *

Opening the front door, an exhausted sigh left his lips as he stepped into the pitch black foyer, kicked the door close behind him and threw his keys onto the nearest table. Rubbing his forehead, he abandoned the enticing thoughts of his comfortable bed and a good night's rest when the lamplight flickered on, the blinding light shining on his girlfriend's form who had been impatiently awaiting his arrival in the living room.

"Well?" she demanded, brusque and straight to the point.

Letting out a weary groan, he flopped onto the sofa in front of her and hugged a pillow to his chest, "You were right. She finally made an appearance."

The dark-haired, dark-eyed woman inclined her head sharply. "Of course I was," she arrogantly stated. " _And_ …? Tell me about her." Eagerness seeped into her harsh tone.

" _And_ , I dunno, Alex," he shrugged, his nonchalance infuriating her. But before she could unleash her anger at him and demand for a proper response, he elaborated, "There's definitely something different about her.

"Subjects of prophecies usually are," she conceded. "Keep an eye on her, and don't you _dare_ disappoint me, baby."

* * *

 **CAST:**

 ** _Ember Gilbert – Jesica Ahlberg (Red Hair!)_**

 ** _Elena Gilbert/Katherine Pierce – Nina Dobrev_**

 ** _Jeremy Gilbert – Steven R. McQueen_**

 ** _Jenna Sommers – Sara Canning_**

 ** _John Gilbert – David Anders_**

 ** _Stefan Salvatore – Paul Wesley_**

 ** _Damon Salvatore – Ian Somerhalder_**

 ** _Sheila Bennett – Jasmine Guy_**

 ** _Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham_**

 ** _Sirius Black – Patrick Dempsey_**

 ** _Marlene Black – Blake Lively_**

 ** _James Potter – Aaron Taylor-Johnson_**

 ** _Lily Potter – Amy Adams_**

 ** _Caspian Graves – Alex Pettyfer_**

 ** _Gregory Bane – Eric Dane_**

 ** _Richard Lockwood – Robert Pralgo_**

 ** _Lexi Branson – Arielle Kebbel_**

 ** _Jax – Jack Reynor_**

* * *

 **A/N:** **The first chapter of Season 2 is** ** _finally_** **out!** ** _Whew_** **!**

 **I am soooo extremely sorry about the delay, I hit a major writer's block after I completed the hospital scene and it took me months to recover my muse. I hope this chapter and the vague, ominous ending was worth it! XD**

 **(1) I am sorry about the lack of Dember scene in this chapter. I was planning on having Ember return to Mystic Falls by night so she could have the eagerly anticipated confrontation with Katherine, Damon and even Elena, but alas, halfway through the bar scene, a new idea struck and I decided to delay those confrontations for next chapter. (2) From now, I am warning those that have a certain dislike to long chapters, the future chapters are gonna be way,** ** _waaay_** **longer. New characters come to play and I'll be focusing on both Mystic Falls and the Magical World and I've got so many plot-twists lined up that diverge from canon. XD (3) BTW, I have to say this, I am surprised that nearly all my reviewers immediately came to the conclusion that 'Nick' is Klaus. LOL! I'm not saying anything for now, so no spoilers… However, while I didn't include the Ember/Nick confrontation that led to the Suite, I will be mentioning it in future chapters in flashbacks, so don't worry, you'll eventually read all about it. (4) Can anyone guess what the last two scenes were about? ;) (5) Should I keep Caroline human or change her? I'm still thinking about that… (6) And how** ** _badass_** **was Jenna? (7) Just like I promised, I brought LEXI back! YAY! Should she stay for a while in Mystic Falls, get Lee with her, or have her drop Ember off and disappear again…?**

 **I've got nothing left to say. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out soon. I've got so many plans for Season Two that I** ** _guarantee_** **will blow your minds away. Also, the** **Poll ****regarding Isobel is still on regarding her survival.**

 **R &R.**


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